Within
by Miru88
Summary: 8 years have passed and try as she might, Sarah can't forget about him. Life seems to be in a rush and even a vacation can't slow it down. What happens when Jareth finally appears before her instead of in her dreams? J/S .. reviews appreciated.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Labyrinth or its characters, I do, however claim to own the plot of this fan fic**

**Author's notes: I personally would love to thank Kaline Reine for her all of her help! Please keep in mind this is only the Prologue; Chapter 1 is updated too, so take a look!**

* * *

**With In**

**Prologue**

As if it was enveloped in a time spell, her room remained the same as how she left it. Her stuffed animals were all in place, except for Lancelot, who was now Toby's. Her dresser was still adorn with her mother's picture, some papers and a few books. The only exception would be that she now had a small box that contained all of which reminded her of him- the poster of the Escher Room, a plastic figurine, ...that book. With each year that passed, more and more objects were taken off of shelves and torn out of magazines or books. Their cries of a strange familiarity were sealed off in darkness until that one day when the box would be reopened. Granted, her friends would always remind her of the journey she had to overcome to save her little brother, but she managed to block Jar- you know who, out of her conscious head… temporarily…

For dreams are a different case.

As they say, dreams are the key to the unconscious needs.

* * *

A/N: Now that I think about it. I probably should have put this with Chapter 1, but oh well. Thanks for all your reviews!

* * *


	2. Chapter One: Subconscious Aggravation

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Labyrinth or its characters, I do, however claim to own the plot of this fan fic**

**A/N: As always, Thank you to Kaline Reine for giving me the confidence and helping me get this story started!**

* * *

**Within  
Chapter 1: Subconscious Aggravation**

* * *

"The tropics are everything you would imagine it to be," she sighed shortly after her sentence. "Yes, yeah- Hawaii. No. No, no, its not all huts and hula skirts." The young woman laughed at her brother's silly comment. "I wish you were here too. Love you, yeah. Bye, Toby."

Click.

What a nice vacation. What a nice, well-needed vacation. Sarah Williams sighed as she plopped down on the ruby red hibiscus printed chair of her hotel room. After taking the clear view of the blue ocean with its golden lining of both the sun and the sand, as well as the rainbow of floral beauty that surrounded nearly every ounce of nature near the hotel, she took a deep relaxing breath. She closed her eyes and felt the warm air brush against her skin.

Most of her first day in "Paradise" was actually spent unpacking, wandering around the hotel, and grabbing something...exotic to eat for dinner. When evening hit, most of her energy had dwindled down and she headed to bed.

Sarah's eyes fluttered shut and her body relaxed, but her thoughts continued to flood her mind. "Jareth..." her lips let the name escape. The image of his long blonde hair, mysterious eyes, along with his tall, lean body, and everything else that took her breath away, started to approach her. "...mmm"

* * *

After a whole night of rather detailed dreaming, Sarah rolled over as the sun's rays made its way to her face. "Ugh," she groaned. After about five minutes of trying to get back to sleep, she reluctantly rolled her way out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom.

The steamy shower was the perfect encouragement she needed to get her body going for the day ahead of her. Sarah placed herself on her unmade bed, and proceeded to ruffle her hair dry. Though she was very much awake, her mind was rather reluctant. The last drops of intrigue from her amazingly real dream had her mind on a trip. "I wonder what would have happened if I just went back to sleep." She thought. "No, no, wait!" She shook her head and took a deep breath, "What the hell am I thinking?"

For years now, she decided that he was the enemy. He was the one who used dirty tricks to win. Yet, something prevented her from forgetting him. No matter what she did, thoughts of him always popped into her mind. His image would accompany such thoughts and cause her to wonder about him …but it is impossible to have romantic feelings for the enemy, right?

After a long self-argument, Sarah decided it best to spend her day relaxing on the beach. The keyword being: "relaxing." She searched through her suitcase, which seemed to really be an endless pit. "Oh, where is it?" she muttered, searching for her swimsuit. "Ah ha!" A small smile crept onto her face. A few minutes later she pulled out a white bikini top with little frills bordering it. Not much deeper lay the matching bottom.

The beach was almost flawless, for nothing truly is perfect, but this came close. The fine sand felt soft on her feet and the sun wasn't blazing in her face. The ocean mimicked the sky's light shade of blue and for the most part was crystal clear near the shore. For such a beautiful day, it was just O.K. After all, part of having a good time is actually sharing it with someone, right? Sarah sighed and opened a magazine she had bought earlier, "Well, at least I've got you to keep me company," she stated flatly.

"Whoa. What?" she said to herself, when leafing through the pages. In front of her was a stunning picture of a man. Not a man she knew, in fact she never met the guy, but he resembled someone quite familiar. She was relieved that her eyes we're just playing tricks on her. Sarah felt her skin heat up as she blushed involuntarily at the connection her brain made. "Apparently, that dream affected me more than I thought," she silently said to herself.

The long day had been slightly awkward, yet enjoyable for the most part. She planted herself in front of the television, but her mind was elsewhere. "I've never really dreamt about him like that before," she sighed. "It never was that…_detailed_ and its never been a good dream." After setting the sleep timer, she laid in bed for nearly a good half an hour. Her brain was stuck on the same subject, and she couldn't help but wonder if tonight would give her a similar dream. Part of her didn't want to sleep, but being in the sun for several hours just zaps your energy. Sarah's mind never ceased its thoughts about the Goblin King. It continued to wonder about his whereabouts and various other things, but Sarah herself had closed her eyes and began to dream. Tomorrow she would awake to her inner turmoil.

* * *

Jareth sat on his throne with his foot tapping. With a gloved finger curved over his brow, he desperately tried to block out the goblins' god-forsaken ruckus around him. When this failed, he demanded silence, "QUIET!" "Why is this so difficult," he thought, "Why?" As if brilliance hit him flat in the face, a smirk began to creep its way onto his lips.

At the same time, his subjects were confused, like how they always were, day after day, when he would burst out in aggravation and then seconds later seem to be in a better mood. So, they waited in silence for their king to speak again. Perhaps this time no one would be greeted with a boot to the face.

"I've got a wonderful idea." He stated. "Perhaps, I'll take a little break."

"What?" a goblin asked.

"He's going to go away?" added in another.

"Where?" "When" "Why?" The chatter amongst the goblins started to peak as they discussed the future whereabouts of the King.

"QUIET!" commanded their king. "I'll be going aboveground. Perhaps another atmosphere will help my nerves." He explained. Not wanting to seem weak in front of the goblins, he added in, "Perhaps, another young mortal will wish away a child. But we all know that can be quite boring." Though, Jareth had hoped not. "That's the last thing I want, to have to face another stupid child to wish away an even younger child, and have them run the Labyrinth." He thought.

"You," he pointed to a goblin.

"Me?" the goblin said lowering his head. " Uhh… yes your highness" came a nervous reply.

"Go get my things."

"Right away, your majesty." Said the goblin as he scurried away.

"As for the rest of you, return to your duties."

And with that, Jareth vanished, leaving the goblins to do their work.

Moments later, Jareth sat near his opened windowsill, just as he did all those years ago. A bit of nostalgia overcame him as he began to reminisce of the fantasy they both shared when he professed his love for her during_that_ song. This wasn't the first time he flashed back to better memories; in fact, he had done this many times before. This was, however, the first time in a great while a crystal did appear in his hand.

A fuzzy image of a sleeping Sarah Williams faded in the crystal ball. With a wave of his hand, the ball flowed smoothly over his arm then trailed back to his fingertips, causing the image to sharpen. He could see her clearly now, for the first time in years. "Sarah," he almost whispered, "you can't block me out forever."

* * *

A/N: Hey, I hope you liked it. It is my first Labyrinth fic (be gentle please?), so I'm open to suggestions and I'd love pointers- Please review!! And… well if you did like it, you should review because reviews are like addictive candy haha.

**Revised as of 4/27/08- updated somewhat and few errors corrected.**


	3. Chapter Two: Passionate Lies

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth, but I do own this plot! Just letting the readers know, I'm not writing specifically about any hotel, so the likeness of my description to a real place is complete coincidence (that goes for people too).**

* * *

**A/N: I know that these chapters seem more Sarah based, but if you'll just wait a few more chapters, I promise more interaction with Sarah and Jareth. It may seem a little slow- sorry for that. I'll get it going soon, so stay tuned. Haha!**

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter 2: Passionate Lies **

Morning came and went. "God. This is boring," Sarah droned. "Maybe I should have let Toby miss a couple days of school…"

It was the third day of her trip and she only had one more to go, but without anyone to interact with, 'Paradise' was almost even worse than home. Well, sure this was vacation and once she got back there would be a lot of packing and moving involved, but some excitement would be nice.

Sarah, needing her fix of adrenaline, had decided to search the hotel for news of anything interesting. As she was making her way to the lobby for information, she noticed an open bar area and a building. 'Probably a club,' she guessed. Above it's doors hung a silver sign engraved with the word: Illusion. 'Odd for a club name,' she thought. "Or maybe not?" she second guessed herself and shrugged it off.

* * *

As night came, she readied her self for the evening. The black halter dress she wore fit perfectly. It gently hugged her curves and left some for the imagination – not too low cut and not to high in length. She left her hair down and applied just a few dabs of cherry gloss to her lips. Ready to go, and dying to fill with a rush, she left for the bar she found earlier.

* * *

Finally, she found a seat near the end of the bar. The area around her had a heavy alcohol scent. It must have been the massive dancing crowd of people. 'Why couldn't they dance in the club?' 'Ah ha,' she thought when she noticed the line that trailed from the entrance to the main hall.

Aside from the crowd of people and the stench of alcohol in the air, the night was pleasant and cool. When she looked up to the cloudless sky, she could clearly see the stars. It wasn't like the city where lights from buildings and such out shined every star. The moon tonight was just as gorgeous. It's pale crescent illuminated the beach softly. It was so easy to get lost in thought when beautiful scenery surrounds you. 'Such a gorgeous night, I wish someone was around to share it with me.' She thought, half fascinated with the sky.

"Good evening." The bartender greeted as he reached for an empty glass. "What can I get for ya?"

Sarah responded with a nervous laugh. "What do you recommend?"

"Well, that all depends. Do you want something sweet?" She nodded.

"How about a Strawberry Pina Colada?"

"Strawberry, huh? Okay, sure."

In a matter of seconds, the bartender whipped up her drink. It stood before her in all its creamy slightly rose tinted glory. One sip thrilled her taste buds. It was cool, sweet, and all around delicious, in a somewhat addicting way.

After her third drink, she noticed the bartender's blonde hair and blue eyes. True, he had short hair, but the shade of it was so similar…"What's your name again?" Sarah laughed, slightly amused with her thoughts. "You almost remind me of someone."

* * *

With a blink of an eye, Jareth had left his cold, goblin filled castle and found himself in a rather strange place. Yes, he meant to find her, but here? 'Sarah, what are you doing in a place like this?' he wondered. "Well," he shrugged. His eyes drifted around the area, first turning his attention toward the huge crowd, "Humans." The area was _filled _with them; 'Well I can't very well have a conversation with her in _this_ place.' After all, there was noise everywhere, 'Hah, and this is what they call 'music'?'

* * *

In the middle of her conversation with what's-his-name, Sarah caught a glimpse of something impossible in the corner of her eye. The man was wearing a really strange outfit. What was that? A weird maroon-ish-brown jacket that had a massive collar? Not only that, but it seemed to have a train and wait! _Tights._ Time just seemed to stop. The crowd of drunk dancers froze and no one seemed to notice.

He was looking right at her. "Jareth?!" she mentally yelled. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

In less than a split second, she turned to the bartender, "How much do I owe you?" she asked quickly.

"Oh, just thirty bucks." He smiled.

"Thirty?" She said, half distracted. 'Was he really standing there?' was the only thing on her mind. "I think I've had enough, thanks."

After looking through her bag and realizing she didn't have the money on her, she smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Just put it on my bill- I'm at room three-seventeen." Having said that, she nearly bolted her way through dancing people in order to find him. "God why is this so familiar?" she groaned. Of course, she stumbled and nearly fell on her face to get there. She could see him better now, but hesitated to approach him at full speed. His hair was the same- blonde and wispy, his eyes still mysterious, and his physique-"Damn, its like that dream again."

Jareth watched as Sarah made her way toward him. "Perfect." He grinned. Just as she slowed her pace, he vanished. "Come get me, pet."

It was as if it was a chase between a fox and a rabbit, and Sarah was the fox…or was she?

"Oh forget this, Jareth. I'm not going to bother with you." She muttered. Using the walls for a brace, she made her way to her room, and flopped onto her bed. When she opened her eyes, the ceiling spun; and when she closed her eyes, well, that didn't matter- everything spun anyway.

The cool night breeze felt refreshing on her skin and made her feel a little better. Once she could thing of things other than how spinning rooms made her dizzy, her mind automatically jumped to a solitary thought, "Goblin King, did I really see you tonight or am I just drunk out of my mind?"

"Drunk out of your mind?" questioned a voice.

Sarah nearly fell out of bed. "Jareth?"

'What is this? She's intoxicated.' He thought and almost laughed. "I'm quite amused, Sarah."

"Amused? Amused!" she frowned. "Hah!" she clutched her head. "I'll bet you are. My head is spinning and you pop out of no where."

"Ah, yes, I suppose." He agreed.

After a long pause, partly for emphasis, she spoke, "What are you doing here?" She slowly sat up waiting for his response. 'This better be good,' she thought.

"Well," he sighed, "I have my reasons." Jareth grew puzzled from the lack of Sarah's usual retorts, which he remembered so well.

"I wonder if I'm talking to myself?" she muttered.

He grinned. "I assure you, dear Sarah, I am here in the flesh."

"Oh?" she scoffed and stood up, or well, tried to. To cover her unsteadiness up, she braced herself on the nearby wall and spoke sharp and sternly, "Prove it."

Jareth narrowed his eyes for a second. 'Don't let her get to you,' he told himself and slowly inched toward her. With every step, his grin seemed to grow. Sarah was mesmerized by his image. He was nearly inches away from her now. With his hand placed a little above the side of her head, he lowered his eyes to her and almost smiled.

'You're just right where I want you, love,' he thought to himself. Being so close to her allowed him to take in her beauty. His eyes drifted to all of her features. Her raven hair was still long past her shoulders, her eyes were fierce yet compassionate, but her body… 'Oh Gods how she's grown.' With a tilt of his head he whispered softly into her ear, "How's this?"

Sarah could feel her cheeks starting to burn even more. "Goblin King," she said coldly, "You'll have to do better than that to have me fall for you…-fall into your traps!" She corrected herself as soon as she noticed the mistake. She cursed herself for letting such ridiculous words slip and silently hoped he missed the error.

"Ah, there she is, that's the Sarah I knew," he laughed. "Sorry, darling, but I have no intentions of having your love at the moment," he lied. He could see and feel the disappointment that gave her. In a way, he regretted his words, because they weren't true at all, but it gave him a feeling of satisfaction.

An awkward silence slipped by.

"I've brought you a gift." He simply said stepping away from her, then produced a crystal ball and waved it about.

Her eyes followed the magical crystal for a moment, "I don't want it."

"Oh no, not this little game again, Sarah." He said with a tone that faintly suggested sarcasm.

He continued to slowly roll the crystal from arm to arm. Resistance was futile, for her eyes couldn't help but follow the shiny ball. "What is it?" she asked, finally.

"Well," he started, but was interrupted by a fuming Sarah. "If you turn it this way it will show you your dreams? Whatever. I already have my dream: I'm a writer and I do part time acting." She made special effort to sound proud for her last sentence. "And, Jareth, I'm sure whatever it is that you're offering me, I couldn't possibly want. There has to be some sort of catch."

"Sarah," his devilish grin began to show, "Why would there be a catch if I didn't want anything from you? Like I said, I have no interest in having your love." Jareth both loved and hated the way he could ruin her disposition. "Here," he tossed the crystal to her.

As it flew through the air, she waited for it to transform. When it landed in her hand, it stayed in its original form. "What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked, puzzled.

He gave out a small laugh, "Anything you wish."

* * *

A/N: Thanks again for reading, guys. I'd appreciate it even more if you reviewed. It gives me encouragement! I'd love to know what you think and please point out any errors I may have made.

I'd love to thank all the readers who reviewed my last chapter! – ann1245679, carrie132, comedychik84, Ginabella59, HappyDepressive, hazlgrnLizzy, Kaline Reine, LDeetz, and notwritten.

Well, I'm going back to school in a couple of days, so I plan to have an update around the 17th. maybe earlier? We shall see!!

**Revised as of 4/27/08 - if you are just reading this now, I have updated it somewhat since I wasn't completely satisfied originally… hope that it has improved!**


	4. Chapter Three: Beloved Obsession

**Disclaimer: Well, no- I'm not the owner of The Labyrinth or its characters, but these situations I put them through, chapter after chapter was my idea…(with suggestions of course- from reviewers like Kaline Reine and SuicidalAphrodite!)**

**A/N: I struggled with this chapter, but I hope you'll like it just as much as the others. This one is a bit longer than the others too… but its quality not quantity right- ****sigh so I hope I gave you a lot to read with the quality of the whole thing being just as good, if not better than the rest. (Please don't forget to review this one; I really would like to hear from you.)**

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Three: Beloved Obsession**

"Anything I wish?" she questioned, staring at the crystal in her hands. "But how do I get it to work?"

"Well, you're a smart woman, aren't you, Sarah? You can figure it out." Jareth laughed again and disappeared in an instant.

"Wait!" she cried out, but it was too late. "I know you can hear me! Jareth! Jareth?" 'Damn that guy,' She sighed. After a few more seconds of eyeing her _present_, she decided to place it next to the lamp near her bed. 'If its there tomorrow morning, then… well… I wonder if he'll be back?' Sarah's mind jumped from place to place as it replayed everything that happened during the night.

The alcohol had gotten to her, that was for sure, but it was losing its dizzying effect. It was much easier to think clearer now.

'If I could have anything in the world, what would I want?' she asked herself. Her mind was so busy with possible answers to her own perplexing question that it took a couple attempts to put on her nightgown. 'Maybe…-no' she sighed. 'Like a kid in a candy store, Sarah,' she mentally scolded herself. "I'll decide what to do with you later," she told the sphere, "if you're still there…" Something inside of her hoped it would vanish by morning. With those finals words, she turned the lamp off and finally shut her eyes.

* * *

During her nights rest, Sarah tossed and turned. No, it wasn't a bad dream- in fact, it wasn't a dream at all. "God damn that thing," she sighed, not being able to find a comfortable position. Her body wanted rest, but her mind was racing, 'What to do with that thing? More importantly, why did Jareth suddenly show up after so long. What does he want with me… if he doesn't love me?'

"He doesn't _love_ me…" she sighed. It took her a few minutes to realize her disappointment about that statement. This ordeal wasn't about the crystal on her desk, but the fact that Jareth didn't love her. That's why her mind couldn't rest and her emotions shut down.

Finally, an epiphany! Sarah finally realized why none of the guys she dated measured up. From her childhood into her teen years and adult life, she compared all of the men in her life to the mysterious, charming, Goblin King. Why? He was so different-so challenging. He made her feel _different._ It only hit her now, and she cursed herself for that. All Sarah could do was let out a sigh of tired frustration. "I wish I realized." Soon after, she desperately shut her eyes in attempts to catch just a few hours of rest.

* * *

Jareth had left his dear Sarah in the state he wanted her in. Once he returned to his castle, he retired to his room and felt pleased. "So," he said to himself, "she does have feelings for me." Jareth was too absorbed in his pride to think ahead. Right now, he just wanted to relish his control over her.

After his preparations for bed, Jareth sat near his windowsill. He felt alive as the night breeze sent a chill down his body. All he could think about was _her_, so he held his hand out, palm facing toward the sky. A crystal then materialized and showed him his beloved. All he could do was mouth her name, "Sarah." He could feel her discomfort- her sorrow and confusion. Yes, giving her that crystal was a wonderful idea. The connection allowed him to feel her thoughts and emotions, which was even better than just seeing her. Well, two senses instead of one right?

The reunion he had with Sarah replayed in his head. It had only been_ recently_ when she allowed him to connect with her mentally- through dreams none the less. He grew a little bitter when he thought about it. 'She blocked me out for so long…' All this resentment fueled his desire to ruin her, but when he thought about it, that was also the last thing he wanted to do.

* * *

The next morning was brutal. Sarah's limbs felt three times their weight. Her eyelids just didn't want to open. 'No! Not morning' her brain cried. 'Morning?' With all of her curiosity-fueled energy, she slowly opened her eyes…

There was the bed lamp and the telephone was just next to it- 'Oh God, the crystal.' It was just where she left it. The sun's rays reflected from the clear little orb and scattered little iridescent specs onto the wall. "What to do with that thing?" she said in particularly to no one but herself- and maybe Jareth. Something in her secretly hoped that he would show up otoday…or now, right now. So she waited in bed for a minute or two. Then she thought better of it. Having Jareth pop out of nowhere while she was still in her pajamas was a horrifying thought.

* * *

He knew she wanted him there. He knew when she woke up and he knew how she was feeling. "Well Sarah," he spoke proudly to the crystal in his hand, "it seems I do have _some_ power over you." Jareth had no intention of presenting himself to Sarah anytime soon-perhaps maybe later in the day. After all, he was still enjoying the confidence boosting effects of the previous night.

* * *

After getting out of the hot shower, she searched through her suitcase for something nice to wear on her last day. The weather forecast suggested that the day would be hot and humid so a t-shirt with jeans probably wouldn't be the best choice she could make. Keeping that in mind, she tried on a jade tank top with lace trimming and slipped on dark denim shorts. After analyzing herself in the mirror, she decided that she looked fine. The clothes she wore gave off a younger vibe- not that she wasn't young, but this had been something she wore back in college some 3 years ago. The color of her top accentuated her emerald eyes. As always, her face was flawless, and didn't need the help of foundations or powders. Today, however, Sarah was focused on how she appeared to other people. So today was one of the only days where she used mascara, a little sheer eye shadow, and clear lip gloss. Granted her make up was very subtle, but it still accented her features beautifully. Her look for today was complete as she put on her black wedge sandals.

On a subconscious level, she hoped to see Jareth today, but at the same time she never wanted to see him again. Sarah just wanted to live her life, and now that she knew he didn't have feelings for her anymore, she wanted to do her best to exist to her fullest potential. She wanted to forget him.

* * *

After spending half the day secretly waiting for his highness and getting her hopes up, Sarah decided to do something to get her mind off of him. The tropical atmosphere compelled her to sight see while she still had time. Her flight was set for departure later in the evening. The sun was going to set soon, so what better than to watch it set at the beach? It was just a five-minute walk away from the hotel, so after checking to see that all of her belongings were packed, she headed down to the beach.

The usual golden orb was tinted red and lay in the middle of the horizon. The area surrounding it glowed orange while the remainder of the sky varied in hues of pink and purple. Clouds caused some areas to be darker than others, but essentially it was a beautiful image. Its reflection on the ocean caused the water to appear as if it was glowing.

"Its beautiful, isn't it?" came a voice.

Sarah turned to its origin and found its owner. The man was slender, but muscular. His golden brown hair was cut short and styled in a spiked fashion. She also noticed he had oval framed glasses.

All she could do was nod in agreement. She was half interested and half hesitant to really pay any attention.

The person beside her smiled. "Are you that amazed that you can't say anything?" He laughed. "I'm Connor from Oregon."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sarah." She greeted, both eying the sunset and her new acquaintance. He appeared to be a nice guy- he was friendly and something in his voice indicated kindness.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and instinctively cocked her head to see it. Her eyes slowly followed the hand to an arm, then to a shoulder and neck. When she looked at him, she noticed his eyes were on the sunset, not her. Even as he spoke to her, his eyes never left the horizon, "Sarah? Well, I'm glad to have met you. I wanted to share the sunset with someone- good thing you were here."

There was an awkward silence between the two for a moment. Sarah felt an odd, uncomfortable feeling from his words. 'Is he hitting on me?' she asked herself.

Connor noticed that she seemed distant after his words. He couldn't figure it out at first and then he realized. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean it like _that_," he explained, half lying. "It's just that all these days I've been around and I never really get to share things like this with anyone but myself." Connor laughed nervously.

"If you don't mind my asking, what brought you here?" Sarah asked curiously, somewhat trying to change the subject.

Connor couldn't help but to smile, "I'm a writer."

Her interest peaked. "A writer? Really? Me too. Well, I'm just getting started," she said smiling. 'He's a writer? That's awesome,' she thought. Then it hit her. "Wait? Connor? As in _the_ Connor Halinday?"

He looked surprised. "Oh, you know me?"

"Know you? I'm a big fan of your work!" she laughed. "This is so amazing to actually meet you in person. Too bad we didn't meet earlier." Sarah sighed at her luck. "I'm leaving to go back home tonight."

"Oh, that's unfortunate," Connor agreed. "Well, I normally don't do this, but you're a writer as well, right?" he asked while whipping out a pen and small notepad from his pocket. He began to jot something down as she nodded in response to his question. When he was done, he handed her a slip of paper.

"What's this?" she asked, taking a look at the paper.

"My email address and number," he explained. "If you ever need help, just give me a call…or if you ever want to watch a beautiful sunset again…"

"Thanks." Sarah let out a nervous laugh. She couldn't help it! The fact that she met one of her idols during the sunset of her last day in Hawaii was sheer good luck. 'And it feels good to talk to someone after that whole thing last night. I don't even want to remember it,' she added in thought.

"Well, I guess you've gotta get going, right?" he held out his hand. "It was really nice to meet you though, Sarah. You should look out for my next book- you might just find that you helped inspire it."

She felt a blush coming on, so she thought it best to quickly get out of there. "Thanks again," she said simply as she shook his hand. "I think I will keep in touch." – and with that, she left.

* * *

Little to Sarah's knowledge, Jareth had seen most of her day. This included her interaction with that _other man._ As Jareth watched their conversation, the image of the two faded to a blur and then refocused frequently. He couldn't hear a bloody thing, but he could feel the emotions Sarah was feeling. 'Admiration? Infatuation? No, not quite, but she's excited one way or another.'

Even when she left that man, Jareth couldn't focus in on her visually. 'Why? _Why?_' his brain began to panic. "She's blocking me out again." He frowned as the realization settled in. Worse yet, this one had been his fault entirely- and all for what? -Brief moments of triumph. Now there may be another man in the picture and Sarah could be out of his life forever.

* * *

**A/N: If you guys are wondering, I'm hoping to actually go more into depth with Sarah and how her life is now- what she has been up to occupation wise and all. / and I think we all realize I'm bad with thinking up names for my characters huh? Sorry, Connor … haha…**

**A big thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter and inspired me to update faster: carrie132, HappyDepressive, hazlegrnLizzy, Kaline Reine, Noah, notwritten, razubi, and SuicidalAphrodite.**

Also- I've been really surprised at how many people added this story to their story alert list!

**Well, please review!**

* * *

Briefly updated as of 4/26/07

* * *


	5. Chapter Four: Midair Intervention

**Dislcaimer: Jareth, Sarah, and all other goodness from The Labyrinth aren't mine. The plot is though!**

A/N: Hey everyone! Glad you liked the other chapter! Just letting you all know, when February hits, I'll probably be pretty busy- classes you see. But I will do my best to update weekly. Anyway we have about another week of a stress free Miru so, I'll be working as hard as I can on updating and writing more!

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Four: Midair Intervention**

Not wanting to think about it now, Sarah carefully placed the crystal Jareth had given her into her handbag. Granted, there were a few moments during the ride to the airport when she became enticed to rid the temptation that grew. 'Maybe I should just wish for a jelly doughnut. Then I wont have to deal with that thing,' was one thought. 'Or maybe just to have him out of my life,' she sighed, 'or in it.'

The wait at the airport was dreadful, what with long lines, security increase, not to mention her flight was delayed. For the last two hours, Sarah occupied herself with a notebook and pencil. In her notebook, there were notes upon notes in addition to occasional sketches of images from her mind. Here was a doodle of Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus –And there, 'Damn it,' she sighed. There was a sketch of the Goblin King with one of his crystals sitting in his palm. "I thought I got rid of this," she said softly. Even on paper, the Goblin King appeared

She planned to write and draw of her vacation, but her brain was blocking her from doing so. From Jareth to the crystal, Sarah's mind continued to jump its way around to endless problems and possible solutions. Well, at least she wasn't bored.

* * *

"Hey folks, this is your captain speaking, I just wanted to let you know that we'll be expecting this flight to last for around eight hours and twenty-three minutes. It's a bit windy out there too, so there may be some turbulence on the way." 

Sarah sighed in response to the captain's message. The airplane was almost fully filled with people, but luckily, the seat next to Sarah was empty. "Eight hours…" she droned, stretching her feet out over the empty seat. "Well, at least I can be comfortable."

To keep busy, Sarah brought a book to read on the plane. Unfortunately, that book went missing somewhere. Upon checking her bag halfheartedly, her fingers brushed against the smooth crystal causing her to wonder what she should do with it. Ideas poured in and out of her head, 'What to do with you?' During her brainstorm of ideas, the plane began to shake erratically. The turbulence caused Sarah's stomach to bounce around and occasionally almost leap out of her throat. Almost instinctively, she clutched her stomach, closed her eyes, and prayed that her body would fall asleep. It seemed like hours before she started to relax, but once she did, it was Heaven.

* * *

Jareth spent the last hour pacing back and forth in his study. 'How do I make her mine?' he asked himself. Yes, that had been the question since day one… but now, now there was an even bigger problem. 'What to do with that Connor person?' Jareth cursed himself, 'If I didn't toy with her, she would have been mine already.' That was his Sarah all right- always making everything even more difficult, both for him and herself. The Goblin King was in a predicament all right. On one hand, he wanted to grab his love and carry her off to his castle, but on the other… Jareth was addicted to the power he had over her. 

"What to do?" he tapped a gloved finger over his thin lips. No sooner than five minutes later, a strange sensation overcame him. Its tingling vibrations traveled in waves to his brain. "She's dreaming?" he questioned, though it sounded more like a statement than a question. A grin appeared on his face and began to grow, "Perfect."

* * *

Everything in front of her melted into a hazy blur. She took a couple steps into the unfamiliar area that surrounded her. Then like the unfolding of a new, but strangely familiar adventure, Sarah stumbled upon a little worm. 

"Allo," it greeted her. Its blue hair was wild and stuck up like one of those treasure trolls from long ago.

"Oh, hello." She responded slightly taken back. 'This worm…' she thought. "Have we met before?"

"Don't think so," the worm shook its head from left to right. "C'mon, let's go then." He said, inching himself into the haze.

Her eyes followed the little creature. "Let's go? Where are we?" Sarah squinted as she tried to make out objects and a landscape.

Before she got an answer from the small worm, Sarah realized she no longer was in the same place. In fact, in this new area, everything was clearly visible. Unfortunately, the area was also unfamiliar and her little counterpart was nowhere to be found. The sky was a strange red-orange, as if a war was on the horizon. Some of the greenery around her was dying, while other parts were in bloom. It was as if the plants around couldn't decide if they were dying or flourishing. 'What the hell is going on?' her brain cried out. "Hello?" she called, hoping someone would hear her.

The only answer she got was the sound of wind blowing leaves about. Sarah sat down on a small boulder, "I don't understand." 'There is no place to go.' She thought while observing the scenery.

"Sarah!" came a cry that shook her from her thoughts. She instinctively turned to the direction of the voice. A figure was approaching her, but it appeared black and blurry. Her mind couldn't think of who the voice's owner was. As the person gradually came closer, his image began to focus. "Connor?"

"Sarah," he smiled as he moved closer.

It was as if nothing in the world mattered now- the strange place, that even stranger place she was in earlier; Connor was here. "What are you doing here?" she asked, finally relieved.

"Looking for you." He explained. "Sarah, I-.." he didn't even finish his sentence when he lowered his lips to hers. Sarah's body exploded with a new sensation. Her eyes closed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, 'It feels good to be with someone…' As good as this felt, and as much as she wanted to relish her warm feelings, her mind couldn't help but feel indifferent. 'Is this supposed to happen? Do I have feelings for him? Connor?' It was as if a cloud of doubt loomed over her.

* * *

Jareth felt coldness spread over him. Rage hit him first, followed by regret. Then the drive to hold onto the one he loved took over him. He didn't expect to see this- No, not _his _Sarah dreaming of another man. This was much more serious than he thought, indeed! Without wasting any time, Jareth closed his eyes as he held the small crystal sphere in his hand, concentrating on the love of his life.

* * *

Sarah placed her hands from his neck to his shoulders and just as she was about to push him away, the kiss ended. She slowly opened her eyes, taking time to build up the courage to- "Jareth?" 

The Goblin King smirked as she spoke his name, "Hello Sarah."

* * *

A/N: I know I left you at a cliffhanger (sort of)- but that's so you come back for more, heh heh. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter! That being said, I can't stress enough how **_important reviews are_ **to me!Sarah's dream is pretty trippy, huh?

**The readers who made me very happy are: carrie132, coyoger, HappyDepressive, hazlgrnLizzy, Kaline Reine, notwritten, saizen, SuicidalAphrodite, and Tom Riddle's reluctant bride**

**Suggestions welcome, please review!**


	6. Chapter Five: Unexpected Realization

Disclaimer: The Labyrinth is a work of art by its respectful owners. Its a wonderful movie and I'm, just paying a little tribute to its awesomeness with my story.

A/N: I know you've been waiting for it since I left you at that cliffhanger. So here it is, I hope you like it, even if you don't please review and tell me why. I'm open to suggestions and everything. Also, thank you Kaline Reine!

* * *

**Within  
Chapter Five: Unexpected Realization  
**

All she could do was stare in confusion. Connor was the one standing before her a few moments ago, right? Now it was him, the one she feared, loved, and hated at the same time. The Goblin King stood before her seeming fueled with all the confidence in the world and it was attractive. Sarah couldn't exactly determine what Jareth was wearing, but whatever it was, it did its job… and when her eyes traveled to meet his, her mind melted.

Jareth could sense her shock. Deep down inside, the sensation thrilled him. He could see the need to be held by another in her eyes, so he did just that. In one smooth motion, he grasped her hands in his gloved ones and pulled her to him. At first, she resisted and stood rigid in front of him. 'Dream or not, this girl is still determined to defy me,' Jareth mentally said to himself. He couldn't help observing her with a brow raised. "Do you want this?" he cooed softly. When no response came, he placed his finger under her chin and slowly lifted her head so he could capture her in his gaze. A smile spread across his lips before he lowered them onto hers.

Her eyes closed as she felt his tongue slip into her mouth and dance with hers. Her body ached for this moment, but she held back. Burning in her mind were those nonchalant words she never expected to hear from him, "I have no intention of having your love" Snapping out of it, Sarah pushed Jareth away from her as hard as she could. All she could think about now was getting away. She turned around and just as she was about to take off with all her might, a hand caught hers.

Before anything else could happen, reality jolted Sarah awake. "What the…" she gasped looking around. 'Oh right, airplane,' her brain registered. Sarah closed her eyes tightly and sighed. The dream left her feeling strange- half pleased and longing for more and half confused. It felt so real, she could still feel his lips on hers.

About a half hour later, the plane landed and she took a cab home. All the while, her mind replayed every interaction she had with the Goblin King. Everything seemed like a puzzle- especially now. If anything, this whole ordeal was just another labyrinth, but one of emotions instead of physical objects. He was infatuated with her, he wanted her, and now he says he wants nothing to do with that sort of relationship. Sarah realized how she wanted him as, yet due to the nature of, well, him being the Goblin King- 'He can't be trusted,' she told herself. Yet, her brain couldn't get him out of her head. She even had dreams about the guy- and they were more than just _imaginative _dreams.

Sarah watched half dazed as the cab passed colorful trees. Sooner than she realized, the cab turned on a familiar drive way with a familiar lawn, and an ever-familiar white house. "Home," she said softly. The tone she carried mimicked her thoughts. She wasn't thrilled or disappointed. Karen was still with her father after all. In actuality, she was the reason why Sarah had to take a taxi. Karen had refused to pick her up seeing as how she and Sarah's father would be, "going out that night." The only joy Sarah had left about this place was Toby.

After paying the taxi driver and gathering her things from the trunk, Sarah merely took a few steps toward the house when the door flew open.

"Toby!" she smiled as her younger stepbrother ran to greet her. They've always been close since that one journey through that one castle, but Toby didn't remember it- he was very little after all. The reason for their camaraderie was Sarah's determination to be a good sibling for him. For that revelation, she thanked Jareth and the friends she made in his labyrinth.

"Sarah! Did you get me something?" Toby grinned, taking a bag from her arms to help.

"Yeah, hold on," she laughed, "let me get into the house first, okay?"

It took a trip to Hawaii for Sarah to notice how big her stepbrother was now. Sure, he was only going to be in fifth grade, but he was pretty tall for his age. She could still see the little baby she wished away that one night- his eyes were still the same blue and his blonde hair remained its golden color.

As she made her way up to her room, she flopped herself on the soft, fluffy bed she used to sleep on. Toby stood in front of her, his expression clearly indicating a question forming in his head. "Whatcha doin'?" he asked as he dropped a bag in front of her.

"Nothing," she smiled. Her hands grasped the bag and proceeded to go through it. "Here, kiddo," she said, handing him a small box wrapped in a flower printed giftwrap.

Toby's expression was priceless. His eyes grew wide and the smile on his face nearly spread double. He then pursed his lips together and rubbed his fingers over the wrapping as if savoring the temptation. 'Its too bad you can't get that kind of a face from a grown man,' Sarah thought, laughing to herself.

"Can I open it?" Toby beamed.

Sarah nodded in response and less than half a second later Toby shredded the wrapping paper. Now a box was in his hand. He slowly lifted the lid, only to reveal a fish hook necklace. Sarah wasn't sure if he would like the thing, but thankfully, the next word out of Toby's mouth was, "Cool!" He then put the necklace on and struck a pose for his stepsister.

"Wow, Toby. You look good," Sarah laughed and Toby joined in.

"Thanks, Sarah." Toby played with the hook around his neck as Sarah sat comfortably.

"How about you get ready to help me make some dinner while I unpack?" Sarah suggested.

"But, Sarah," he began to whine, "I'm already ready!"

A small laugh escaped her, "Okay, okay. Well, give me like… fifteen minutes please?"

"Fifteen minutes!" he cried out then sighed. "Okay, fine." Toby lowered his head and made his way out of the room, closing the door behind him.

'It's really good to be back.' She thought as she began to relax. "A little music would be good, huh?" she said to the stuffed animals in their cubbies. Sarah proceeded to walk over to her stereo and turn the radio on. Just as she pushed the button, she saw the _box_ in the corner of her eye. Perhaps it was curiosity or maybe a sense of longing, but whatever it was pushed Sarah to reopen the box along with her memories. The first trinket she picked up was the little doll in the glass case. The little dress it wore caught her eye and she mentally scolded herself, 'Never again am I wearing something like that.' The contents of the box triggered a flood of past adventures in her mind.

* * *

Jareth never took his eyes off of her. Not since his lips touched hers. He waited and waited for the opportune time to appear before her. Truth be told, he didn't know what would happen now. That kiss they shared was real, but it was in a dream. "Dreams are key to the subconscious," he said to no one in particular, "but coincidentally, she may not understand her subconscious needs…" Jareth sighed. "And she was holding back." He knew she was unsure. That was the problem.

* * *

Sarah had her eyes closed at the time. She let her body absorb the music that vibrated from the stereo. Though she appeared to be calm and relaxed, her mind began to fill with memories and thoughts. One second she was thinking of his face, then the dream she had. The next second was spent nostalgically replaying memories of her friends and their adventure together.

For the time being, Sarah was too occupied with her feelings to notice the presence of the Goblin King. He planned to make his entrance grand, like the first time he presented himself to her. There was a burst of glitter and he was posed perfectly- but she missed it.

Jareth took a moment to take in the sight before him. She seemed calm, but he knew she was concentrating hard on the past events she endured. A small smile curved its way along his lips as he noted her expression. Occasionally she would smile, then it would mold itself into a frown and her brows would knit together.

Jareth's eyes shifted from Sarah to a box sitting before her. 'What could this be?' he wondered. Sarah had ignored him long enough- or so he felt. So, Jareth did the only thing he could that wouldn't send her into a defensive attack, "Ahem," he cleared his throat.

Sarah's ears picked up a noise. "What?" she questioned, her eyes still closed.

Jareth was about to respond, but she continued, "Has it been fifteen minutes already?"

"Fifteen minutes?" Jareth asked. In an instant, Sarah's eyes shot open.

"Why are you here?" her voice grew defensive.

A smirk began to curve from his lips, "Oh, no reason, love. Have you done anything with my gift?"

Sarah grew silent and pulled out her bag. She presented the unchanged crystal sphere to him. As she gazed at him, she noticed an arched brow, but before he could say anything she decided to explain herself. "I just can't decide what to do with it." As always, she began to lose herself in his features. He was the epitome of the word 'handsome' after all.

Jareth was basking in the glory she gave him. He was absorbing the energy she willingly, but perhaps not consciously, directed at him. "Well, well, now… I'm sure you can think of something."

Then the mood shifted. "Is that why you're here, Goblin King?" It seemed that whenever she was serious and in everything but a light mood, she addressed him by his title. "I don't need any distractions from you. You shouldn't even be here anyway."

"Oh? Why not?" he tilted his head to the side, raising his eyebrow again.

Her eyes shifted down, "What is the point of bothering someone you have no interest in?" Then, she realized it. She lifted her gaze upward to match his and proceeded to stand up. "Unless…"

Jareth did his best to mask his reaction. "Sarah," he interrupted, "what is it that you could possibly be thinking?"

* * *

A/N: Sorry to cut it here guys, but I thought it would be a good place to stop. I'm surprised I actually got this much! I had a major blank out but thanks to Kaline Reine and SuicidalAphrodite I got myself back on track. (Much appreciation goes out to you two!)

Sorry to say this but I seem to have caught a cold so I don't know when I'll be updating again. It's a little hard to type even now. Well, wish me back to health guys!

As always I love reviews. So, please be kind and give me one! Thank you!


	7. Chapter Six: Always A Catch

Disclaimer: I don't own The Labyrinth or it's characters. I do claim to own this plot and Connor.

A/N: Thanks for the get-well wishes! I'm still sick though, but I felt like I needed to put up an update for you guys- since I love you all so much! Unfortunately- I'm not sure when I'll be able to update for chapter seven… It might just end up a little late, around the 16th or 17th okay?

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Six: Always A Catch**

Sarah's mind pounded with ideas. "Why didn't I think of this before?" she asked out loud. She looked down to gather her thoughts, "Nothing is what it seems to be…" she trailed off for a moment, then looked up into his eyes, "especially with you," she stated boldly. 'He's just like a spoiled child,' Sarah thought. 'Lying to get what he wants.'

His eyebrow curved upward again as he wondered what she was thinking. He could feel how sure she was now... but of what? "Sarah," he interrupted her thoughts, "what about the crystal?" Jareth picked up the sphere and sent it rolling back and forth from his left arm to his right. For a moment, the crystal split into two and the collided into the one again. Of course, he was only doing this to distract her.

As if she was mesmerized, her eyes traced the path of the crystal on his arms. It took a moment for her brain to register his intentions. 'Okay, do your best, Goblin King!' she challenged him mentally. Sarah held her hand out, "Shall I make my wish then?"

Jareth placed the crystal in her palm with a grin plastered on his face.

"There really is a catch, isn't there?" she sighed. The crystal was cold and smooth in her hand.

A frown made its way on Jareth's face. It was a familiar frown, one that seemed to mask_something_. Sarah's suspicion was confirmed when he spoke. "No, _love_. Why would there be?" His voice was a little too nonchalant, if there was such a thing.

Sarah tried her best to conceal her emotions, but she never was one for poker faces. Not to say that she couldn't perform like that, but it made her nervous as hell- especially with the Goblin King a foot away from her. Her brows lifted then knitted together. She was confused, worried, skeptical- everything. Then, a small smile slowly crept onto her face. "_Jareth_," it almost sounded like she cooed, "don't_lie_ to me." This definitely caught his attention. "I'm not that naïve little girl anymore."

'Yes, of course,' he agreed silently. 'You're much more than that now, love.' He didn't say a word- his eyes just stared into hers.

She didn't know for sure, but she thought she could feel his emotions. His face refused to give it away, but it was more like his aura that sold him out. Or perhaps, it was just the feeling her own heart cried out- 'Maybe his feelings haven't changed…' 'But why wont he admit it?' her brain challenged her heart.

"Okay," she sighed, "I've got it." Sarah's eyes drifted down to the crystal in her hands. Her fingers brushed over the sphere, "I wish…" she paused, unsure of what to say for the moment.

After taking a deep breath, she continued, "I wish you would just tell me why you're here after all this time."

Jareth frowned a true frown. "What?" He didn't expect her to say _that_ or anything remotely close.

The crystal then appeared to transform. The thick glass grew thin like film and it floated slightly above her palm like a soap bubble. Like all bubbles, once it touched the surface of her palm, it popped.

Jareth sighed. Now the deal was sealed. "Sarah," he began. "Since I must comply with your wish… If you must know, I'm here because…." He paused, not knowing how to phrase his words.

Sarah waited for him to complete his words, but a part of her wanted to interrupt and finish for him. 'Just say it, damn it.' It was as if the child in her escaped for a moment and caused her to revert to her old fifteen-year-old self. Her brows knitted together, her eyes flashed the message of uncertainty. All she needed to complete her look was a pout on her lips.

At this point, Jareth was at a loss of words- and never in his life had he ever stumbled with his words. Only the woman standing before him had this sort of power over him. His mind whirled in attempts to find the correct phrase without seeming to be completely struck with love. He did have is pride. After all, the Goblin King shouldn't have to explain to anyone like this except for the Court and High King and Queen. "Well," he began again, "I'm here now because…" he paused, thinking of an out. "I was curious to see what you had planned to do with my gift."

Sarah had her full attention on him. She ceased to blink and eye during his sentence… and all for what? Nothing. "You know that's not what I meant!" she stammered.

"What's said is said," he smiled laughing almost triumphantly.

She was about to explode. She wanted to scream and get rid of him, but that was before the adult in her had a brilliant idea. 'Maybe I can still squeeze it out of him.'

Jareth watched as Sarah's expressions once again altered. Initially, her eyes narrowed and her body stood ridged, then she shifted and relaxed. Eventually, her expression grew pleasant. 'What could she be thinking?' he wondered. Never the less, he stood his ground very intrigued with the woman before him.

In a way, this was like that strange moment they experienced together in the depths of the Escher Room. She still feared him, but courage surged through her veins. Sarah took a step forward and he took a step back. Her eyes bore into his, searching for reasons. "Jareth," she spoke softly.

His eyes shifted from her emerald orbs to her rose petal lips. The way she spoke his name… Just as he glanced up at her eyes once more, she took yet another step toward him. "Sarah?" he questioned and cursed himself for the weakness in his voice.

One step later, Jareth had his back against the wall and Sarah was inches before him.

Sarah angled her head slightly and brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her face. "Jareth," she said again, even softer. She stood on the tips of her toes to whisper in his ear, just as he did to her some nights ago. "Tell me?" she whispered. It was more of a statement then a question. Her eyes were glued onto him as she waited for his answer.

Though this was new to him, Jareth had to admit that he enjoyed the moment. It was very bold of her to approach him like this. A smile curved its way along his lips, "Answer my question first."

"What?" she asked and cursed her mouth for opening.

He waited for her to disagree, but no response came. "Come with me?"

It took a few seconds for his words to register in her mind. Deep down inside she knew where he meant, but she had to ask, "Where?"

"You know where." Jareth was serious now. "Sarah, I know that trust seems to be part of the issue here, but what is the other half of it?"

'That I have crazy, steamy dreams about you and can't get you out of my head.' she thought, almost letting it slip out loud. Then she thought of demanding him to answer her first, but that was out ruled due to the childishness it conveyed. Another possibility was the whole sarcasm route, 'Hah, Underground? I need sunlight.' However, that wasn't right either because though she was flustered, she didn't want to push him away. The right words couldn't come to Sarah's mind, thus nothing was uttered out of her mouth.

Jareth was slowly growing impatient with her lack of words. 'Just say how you feel. Say you'll come with me,' he pleaded silently. He watched as she lowered her eyes to the ground. All he could do was wonder what she was thinking. Though he didn't want to ruin anything, Jareth did want to do _something_ instead of just stand against a wall. His Sarah was but a few inches away from him, so he did what came to his mind first. "Sarah," he said, causing her to raise her head. Her emerald eyes looked up into his, showing her confusion. Then she felt the warmth of his lips on hers.

It was as if Sarah was in a trance. She knew what was happening, but it felt like a dream to her. 'That's right… it's like that dream.' she thought as she closed her eyes to enjoy the kiss. His arms slowly wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him. He expected their kiss to deepen, for their tongues to meet, and everything to become a whirl of passion, but it ceased to continue. Sarah stood before him, her eyes averted down. Before he could say anything, her mouth opened, "I've just answered your question, Goblin King…and perhaps, well, I think you answered mine, but…"

Before she could continue, there was a knock on her door, "Sarah?" came the voice. "Its been like fifty billion minutes!"

"Just a sec, I'll be down there in a flash!" she called out.

Sarah could hear a loud sigh on the opposite side of the door. "Okay, but hurry up," Toby sounded disappointed and impatient.

Just as the sound of his footsteps vanished, she turned to face the handsome king who still had his strong grip on her. As she opened her mouth to speak, Jareth released a hand from her waist and placed a gloved finger over her lips. "Perhaps we can finish this later," he sighed. "It seems as if you're… busy." He seemed to flash a small smile before he vanished before her.

She stood there, perplexed and curious. 'Was that a smile?' The other question on her mind was, 'When will he be back?' Sarah sighed as she walked out of her room and made her way downstairs. She knew that Toby would have a full interrogation concerning how she made him wait for her.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I still have my cold, but I'm a lot more …um… there? Anyway, I realized I forgot to thank those of you who reviewed chapter four in my fifth chapter installment. ….So… **_**THANK**_** YOU!!! - And Before I forget this time, I'd like to thank those of you who reviewed chapter five!**

**So, the wonderful reviewers who made my day and encouraged me to write this chapter are: ** ann1245679, Carrie132, CoffeeKris, coyoger, Ginabella59, HappyDepressive, hazlgrnLizzy, Kaline Reine, Rezangel92, SuicidalAphrodite


	8. Chapter Seven: Note

**Disclaimer: The Labyrinth is a wonderful work of art that I do not own. But it is an awesome movie- well you already know that if you're reading Labyrinth fan fiction, huh? Anyway, I don't own The Labyrinth or its characters. I do own the plot and Connor…**

**A/N: As always, wonderful encouragement from reviewers (like SuicidalAphrodite) and my 'mentor' (Kaline Reine) if you will, have given me the confidence to go this far. I hope you enjoy!!!**

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Seven: Note**

After Toby was satisfied with the answers he received from Sarah, the two managed to cook a delicious dinner and relax. For the first time, a brief moment went by and Jareth was nowhere near Sarah's mind.

That night was a different story. Sarah's vivid memory allowed her brain to replay her latest encounter with the Goblin King. Wave after wave, an endless sea of questions crashed its way through her thoughts. It was as if she could still feel his arms around her. Those gloved hands of his, tightening its grip on her waist… 'I wonder if he ever takes them off?' she thought, amused and half asleep.

Sarah felt like her arms were tied down and her legs were glued to the mattress. Even her eyelids seemed to have mini weights keeping them closed. On top of that, the cloud of feathers and cotton she slept on seemed to beg her to stay. Unfortunately for Sarah and her comfy bed, the demanding phone near her screamed for attention. After the numerous failed attempts to drown out the horribly loud ring, Sarah mustered up enough strength to lift and arm. Upon drawing the receiver to her ear she groggily mumbled a "hello?"

"Good morning!" came a bubbly response.

Initially, Sarah was just going to return the receiver to its original position, but after a few seconds, she recognized the source of the voice. "Liliana?"

"You mean Lili, right? L-I-L-I?" came a correction.

Sarah did her best to hold back her yawn, but to no avail, "Yeaaaah," she dragged out.

"I heard you were in town, so let's go get some lunch or something."

"When?" Sarah's brain could only handle one-word responses for the moment.

"Thirty-minutes? Let's go shopping for your new place." Lili suggested.

That's when Sarah's eyes shot open, 'Oh crap, I forgot.' She almost said outloud. "Okay, meet you at the park?"

"Yessum! See you there!"

-Click-

Sarah bolted out of bed and readied herself for the busy shopping day to come.

* * *

As always, the park was beautiful and green. The scattered trees were adorn with birds and the sky was amazingly clear with only a few puffs of white to contrast with its never ending stretch of blue. As for people, the only person she saw was a somewhat elderly man walking a graying dog. "Late ag-" a tap on her shoulder prevented Sarah from finishing her sentence. 

"I am _not_ late." Her friend retorted.

"Lili!" Sarah exclaimed, throwing her arms around the other brunette. A few seconds into their long hug, Sarah couldn't help but to ruffle a few of Lili's feathers, "Why are you dressed like that?"

Liliana loved fashion, in fact, she considered herself very fashion forward. Of course, to Sarah and everyone else that knew her, Lili was just eccentric and wild. Truth be told, Lili was often partially depicted as a character in Sarah's numerous short stories. They became friend after an incident in high school, but what Sarah liked best was the fact that they shared a great interest in theater. Their life in college was quite the experience- Sarah discovered her passion for writing while Lili stuck with her love of theater.

"Whatcha mean, 'Why are you dressed like that'?" Lili said, imitating Sarah as best as she could. "I think it's rather sexy," she laughed playing with the bandanna in her hair and twirling her white skirt. Sarah watched her friend as the white fabric of her skirt got caught in the wind. For almost a split second, Sarah thought she saw an odd flash of a white owl fly by.

"Did you …" Sarah began to point, but then thought better of it, "Um… well lets go!"

* * *

The girls went from store to store, sometimes leaving with many large bags and other times exiting with just receipts in their hands. The whole point of the shopping trip being for Sarah to get new things for her new apartment, which up until now, she put aside- both mentally and physically. It was more of Karen's concerns anyway. In consequently, she was the one who suggested an apartment for Sarah and even paid off her future rent for a few months. 'God, that lady really wants me out of the house…' Sarah thought. It just so happened that Sarah had planned a trip to Hawaii right before her move in date. 

After the girls settled down for some lunch and caught up from where they left off in their life adventures, they had decided to take some time to split up and shop on their own. Sarah had the bookstore on her mind, while Lili planned to go to down to the local Ben Franklin.

Compelled with her urge to rush to the bookstore, Sarah quickly made her way down the busy street. As she turned to go through the doorway, a sign caught her attention, "_**Book Signing- Connor Halinday!!**_" Hesitation struck her muscles and adrenaline surged through her veins. Upon stepping through the door, she ducked and dodged her way through shelves of books. As if she were a spy, Sarah peeked around corners and searched for Connor. Once she discovered that he wasn't there, a sigh escaped her lips. She wasn't sure if it was disappointment or relief, but whatever the case, she moved on to search through books.

No less than a few shelves away form a table was Connor's new novel, Passion Upon Flowers. Sarah picked up the book and inspected its covers. "Amazingly crafted! The network of prose simply fills the heart and mind," Sarah read out loud. It was a critic praising his work.

After gathering a few other books and purchasing them, Sarah made her way to the door. Her eyes caught sight of a white owl in the tree outside of the store window. Wondering if it was in fact the same owl she saw earlier, Sarah began to take steps closer for further investigation. Nearly halfway there, her thoughts and overall focus was interrupted by a familiar voice calling her name.

When she turned around, her eyes widened and a half shocked smile appeared on her face. "Mr. Halinday."

Connor laughed, "The name's Connor, no formalities please."

Sarah responded in a nervous laugh. "Uh, well, I got your new novel."

"Oh, I hope you like it. She is based off of our meeting in Hawaii, you know." Connor's smile was gentle and it seemed as if it were masking a little pride.

She was surprised and it was obvious. Connor's smile widened, "How about I sign that book for you?" – and with that, his smile made its way to a grin.

Sarah complied silently, just signaling gestures of agreement all the way. She handed the book to him after digging for a pen in her bag.

During the time it took him to write in the book, Sarah ended up slowly forgetting about the peculiar owl in the tree and absorbing her full attention on Connor.

When Connor handed the book to her, he gave her a small smile and simple said his good-bye, "Hope to see you again _soon_." Sarah was convinced that he was trying to play it cool. She just didn't know why. On top of that, he did emphasize 'soon', right?

Curiosity lead her to open the newly signed book. Sarah's body froze as a slight blush graced her cheeks. When she saw and heard Lili coming toward her, the rose tint on her cheeks deepened.

From far away, Liliana knew something happened, "What's this?" she asked, wanting an explanation for Sarah's cheeks and the book in her hand.

Sarah, who was speechless, decided to let the book speak for her instead. She braced herself as Liliana began to read outloud.

"Sarah,

I owe it to you for being my Muse. 883-357-2347 – Dinner?

-Connor Halinday"

After what seemed like an awkward silence, Lili laughed. "Ooooh," she began to taunt. "Well, are you going to call him? He seems a bit…corny."

"No- its not what-" Sarah began to explain, "Wait. What? I don't know." She could feel Lili's eyes gazing at her, so she started to turn around and look around.

"Hey!" Lili pouted.

Then Sarah's train of thought from earlier returned. Her eyes shot up to gaze into the tree, but there was nothing there.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize if this isn't up to par, (and if it is short). I've been busy with school, so my brain has been out of whack. (what with 3 exams plus a speech to think of) I did go over what I wrote and tried to correct and add in things necessary...Anyway please don't be too harsh! But do review!!! I promise you Jareth-y goodness in the near future!  
**

**Thanks again carrie132, coyoger, HappyDepressive, hazlgrnLizzy, notwritten, and SuicidalAphrodite!**


	9. Chapter Eight: Passion On the Rocks

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Labyrinth or the characters in it. It is an AWESOME movie. Go watch it again! Haha. I do own Connor and Lili though! **

**A/N: Whew! Sorry it took so long to update again. Did anyone notice I changed the summary? Thanks again to Kailine Reine who encourages me frequently!)**

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Eight: Passion On the Rocks **

His lips curved from a small smile to that of a cold grimace… well they would have if he wasn't in his owl form. Before his own eyes, that ridiculous mortal from Sarah's dream suggested going to dinner. It seemed as if she was responding to him more positively as compared to how she was in her dream. Granted the situation was different, but nonetheless, it was still a threat. Jareth denied his curiosity and departed the tree in a split second. Before he knew it, he was sitting in this throne room submerged in deep thought.

Before he even appeared, the goblins could feel his presence- and they could tell something was odd about their king. Goblins, however, lack the attention span of a three-year old- or so it seemed to Jareth. The loud annoying chatter coming from his subjects was the last thing he needed. In a flash, he transported himself from the noisy room to his own personal quarters.

Jealousy, disappointment, resentment,-no matter what emotion he went through, the result was infuriation. 'Something must be done about that pest,' he thought. 'And what to do with her?' Every once in a while during his pacing, he couldn't help but wonder why it seemed Sarah constantly put him in this position- forcing him to take action somehow. What could he possibly do?

It was well past midnight when a flash of brilliance hit him.

* * *

Sarah wasn't so lucky. Her lack of sleep phase was as persistent as ever. All the thoughts in her mind swirled into a giant ball of worries. 'What to do about the Connor thing?' was the main concern. Then another thought, 'What about Jareth?' Her feelings for him were mixed together. In a way, she feared him without knowing why, but other parts of her were curious about his nature. Still yet, she knew she was attracted to him- deeply attracted. Either way, Sarah felt very hesitant when it came to attention from him...and from Connor. In addition to her love life issues, she had to move out soon, which meant moving in… "Why?" she groaned, "Why now?"

Sarah sighed. All these bothersome feelings seemed to only pop out at night when she wanted to rest. Getting out of bed and turning the lights on, she looked around her room and automatically headed to her dresser. Searching through old memorabilia helped push aside the current issues in her mind and instead fill her head with a flood of memories. Here and there were pictures of friends and her mother. As if she was back in high school, Sarah reached for a tube of her lipstick. Though it was a fresh new tube, she treated it as if it was her traditional old lipstick. With a graceful motion, her lips went from natural pink to the dark pink of an azalea blossom. The color on her lips still had the same effect it did then: a transformation from ordinary Sarah to magically elegant Sarah. She sighed, placing the tube to its original position. It seemed like just yesterday when she was stuck at home babysitting and Toby wouldn't stop his crying. The images came to her mind like a projector, 'Yeah, that's right… and then he showed up…' she recalled.

Sarah was too distracted to notice another figure in the reflection of her mirror. It stood above her, waiting for her to snap out of it. Once he cleared his throat, she snapped back into the present and instinctively turned around.

"You're not asleep?" he asked with a forced grin. Thoughts concerning the other man were still swirling around in his head.

'Speak of the devil…' Sarah's eyes trailed down to the ruffles of his poet shirt. "What are you doing here?" she asked rubbing off the lipstick from her lips in a hurry.

"Sarah," his voice showed a hint of disappointment, or so she thought. "What are your plans tomorrow?"

Her eyes narrowed for a moment before she caught her expression. "Why?" she asked, slightly suspicious.

"I was hoping we could," he paused, clearly thinking of something to say. "Do… … something?"

"Something?" she repeated quizzically. Her eyebrows knitted together as she tried to interpret what "something" could be.

"Yes, well… It seems as if you aren't ready to go to the Underground, so I was thinking that perhaps we can spend some time up here." He explained. 'And perhaps we can run into that man who tried to get his hands on you' Jareth continued mentally.

"Maybe." Was all she said. At the time her brain proposed an endless amount of questions concerning his actions at present as well as at their last meeting.

"Maybe?" he asked with an eyebrow curved.

"Tell me something first." She said with all seriousness. Sarah stood up, but still had to look up at him. "Do you…" her eyes averted to the ground as she thought about the wording of her sentence.

'This is your chance!' his brain cried out. Jareth stepped closer to her and she didn't seem to notice. He put a gloved hand under her chin and tilted her face upward to make eye contact with her. He could feel her stiffen to his touch, which was a great disappointment. "I just…would like to spend some time with you. You can ask me all the questions you want tomorrow provided that I can inquire a few from you in return."

He was surprised when she relaxed and her lips curved into a small smile. "Can we just stay around here though? No one will be home and I have to get a few things together anyway." She sighed, remembering about all the boxes she needed to pack.

Jareth was amazed. Everything was going so smoothly. "Alright," he agreed. "I shall come by once I'm done with business tomorrow."

She nodded in approval, not really focusing on him. Instead her mind was on tomorrow rather than today.

Jareth's eyebrow lifted in amusement, as the woman who captured his heart seemed to focus elsewhere. "Until then, love." He said in a sultry tone to draw her back to reality. As her eyes focused on him, he lowered his lips on hers.

Sarah's eyes closed. Though she didn't want to admit it, his kisses propelled her thoughts and moved her. Passion began to consume her as she deepened the kiss. For an instant it seemed as time stood still and the two of them were the only ones in motion.

Jareth found himself almost inslaved. He couldn't resist the temptation of pressing his lips against hers, but it was his intention to leave them both wanting more.

Just as she was beginning to enjoy their kiss, she felt a sudden brush of cold air. The sensation of warmth ceased and when she opened her eyes, she discovered why.

"Where? …W-what the hell?!" she stammered, flustered to find that he vanished. In a way, she was sure that had she been in high school at this moment, it would have been something awesome to have a mysterious highly attractive man pop in and out of her sight.

* * *

Jareth mentally congratulated himself upon his return to the castle. Things had gone much better than he planned- plus, he would have some time with her tomorrow. Unfortunately, something still needed to be done about the other man… Initially, he decided to whisk her away to the Underground as soon as she noticed him, but he thought better of it. Yes, its true that Sarah had grown both mentally and physically as time passed, but he too had grown if not a bit. Oh yes, within those eight years that passed, Jareth was sure to look at each part of his time with her and determine what had gone wrong and why. Nonetheless, even if he did analyze their interaction like that, he did occasionally slip back into his old self. But this time, oh! This time he caught himself. Anything forceful was bound to be shoved back into his face. Not only did this new approach work, but now there could be some potential for even more things to go his way.

His mind began to replay the intimacy they shared only a moment ago. It was indeed a job well done. It took most of his will power to break their kiss, but as he told himself, "It will be much more worth it in the end."

* * *

As soon as her eyes opened from deep slumber, Sarah bolted her way to the closet. The first thoughts to hit her mind concerned Jareth, his whereabouts, and what she should wear when his whereabouts referred to her room... or anywhere in this house for that matter. After constantly rejecting shirt after shirt, frustration consumed her. Sarah sighed and decided that a hot morning shower would be better to start the day with.

The hot streams of water felt like Heaven on her skin. The steam that rose was calming and tempted her to return to bed after the shower, but her thoughts were determined to ruin her relaxation. Images from last night to this morning popped in her head- Sarah's eyes widened, 'Wait!' her mind screamed out. 'I got worked up over him... No, I _am_ worked up over him.'

Sarah yawned with a fluffy white towel wrapped around her. The shower did its job- somewhat. She made her way to her closet again. This time, she approached the situation differently. Shirt after shirt, she leafed her way through her clothes.

When it comes to women and clothes, Sarah is no different. The little voice in her head scolded her with each article of clothing she picked up. "Too flashy." "Too plain." " ...looks like you're trying to hard..." "That doesn't match!"

Finally, both the little fashion guru in her head and Sarah, herself agreed. Sarah slipped a slender plum long sleeved shirt with a wide scoop neck on along with navy blue jeans. It wasn't exactly 'home wear,' but it wasn't clothes to wear for a night out either.

* * *

Time passed and Sarah packed box after box of memorabilia. Half the time she found herself wondering when that _man_ would show up. It didn't matter all too much though. For her father, along with Karen and Toby had gone out for a couple days. Initially, her father wanted to stay and help Sarah pack, but Karen insisted that they go on their trip. "You'll be fine, right..._Sarah?_" Karen had said with false sweetness dripping from every word. Sarah sighed, recalling that scene.

She continued to work, with every little thought bombarding her mind, until her stomach interrupted.

* * *

Jareth watched, as his future queen slaved over a stove. 'I'll make her see...that she should never have to do those things..' he thought before disappearing from his bed chamber in an instant.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. I can't stress enough how much I'd like reviews! They really encourage me to write faster. I swear the ideas just flow into my head better! **

A big thank you goes out to those who reviewed the last chapter: animetvgirl, bra4goten, carrie132, hazlgrnLizzy, Irene Sharda, Kaline Reine, notwritten, PassionHime, SuicidalAphrodite

**Edited/Revised as of 3/22/09. **(Man… I didn't realize that my program liked to randomly press "enter" for me… So I'm sorry that some of the lines were broken in half. I fixed them though! ..I think?)


	10. Chapter Nine: The Offer

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own The Labyrinth or the characters in the movie. Connor, Lili and the plot are my creations.**

**A/N: Whoops! Sorry guys, I made a little error so I had to delete and re-add the chapter- sorry about the additional emails.**

** Wow… I didn't expect all this feedback from you guys! Thank you so much! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Also, I'd like to note that Irene Sharda has given me wonderful ideas and that I shall adapt them to the story- so I'd like to credit her for giving me an idea about Connor that you will see sometime in the future. **

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Nine: The Offer**

In the spotless apartment near a desk adorn with scattered papers sat Connor. His eyes were glued onto the computer screen before him. With each stroke of a key, lines of words emerged and no sooner than a minute later were deleted. The blank screen cried out to be filled, but Connor just couldn't do it. She was on his mind. Talk about writers block. 'Why is she so…' the right words couldn't even pop into his head. His most recent novel was about her and specifically included parts of their meeting in real life. The emerging leafs of paper in the book with all the warnings and copyrights was purely a lie when it came to that whole spiel about any persons being similar to a character in a book being completely coincidental.

Yet, this is similar to how it had always been. He would find a girl and love her secretly- always the friend never the boyfriend. This is how it had been since he first set foot on this side of the world- banished from his own.

* * *

Despite her stomach groaning for flavorsome food, Sarah ended up making pancakes. "There," she said out loud, "Four should be enough." After flipping the four pancakes on a plate, she turned to grab another, but was stopped in the process by a voice. 

"So much food for yourself?" he teased.

Though she knew he was joking, her lips still tightened into a small frown. She eyed him from head to toe. He was wearing all black this time. It was a loose shirt with a very low neckline. If anything, she felt like it intensified his looks.

"Well, since you've decided to _grace_ me with your presence…" she started sarcastically until she realized the opportunity given to her, "would you like some?" After all, four was much, and she originally made extra incase he showed up around then... 'Damnit,' she cursed herself for thinking of him like that. No matter what, she didn't fully approve of herself being so friendly and open to him.

"What?" her response caught him off guard. Yes, he expected her initial reaction because he loved to rile her up, but what surprised him was her invitation.

She sighed, grabbing a plate and a bottle of syrup. "I said, 'would _you_ like some?' They're going to get cold…"

He made no facial expression as to what he was thinking; he just simply pulled out a chair and sat in it, staring at the round, flat, brown-ish thing in front of him.

When she saw him like that out of the corner of her eye, a small smile crept on her face. After placing two pancakes on his plate, she handed him a fork, then began to pour syrup on her own pancakes. It was clear to her that if she didn't do it for him, he would just sit there idly staring at his plate. "There," she said as she finished drizzling the syrup for him.

Her heart stopped while she watched him put a small piece in his mouth. 'It shouldn't matter what he thinks,' she thought still feeling worried.

Finally he spoke, "What is this?"

"Pancakes," she informed him while taking a bite. Jareth simply nodded in response.

'Are they good?' she wanted to ask, but instead an awkward silence filled the air as they ate- well that's what it felt like to Sarah. She was too focused on her pancakes and her thoughts to notice that Jareth had finished and left his seat.

"They were delicious," he whispered in her ear. She jumped a little in her seat, and cursed herself for daydreaming so much. He was behind her now, his left hand placed on the table while the other rested on the back of her chair. She turned to get a look at him, "Thank you," she smiled.

"You know," she began changing the subject. She continued when she could look at him better, "I still haven't forgiven you." Sarah decided it best to keep that last part vague; for there were many things she hadn't forgiven him for just yet. The one particular moment on her mind was from last night. He didn't say anything- 'He's probably wondering what I meant by that,' she thought, proud of herself for his speechlessness.

She wondered what to do as his eyes shifted to a somewhat sorrow filled regretful look… well that's what she thought she saw reflected in his eyes. His thoughts were unclear to her, but she had a feeling that he was thinking of past events from oh say, eight years ago. The urge to point him in the right direction overcame her. Plus it would be a nice way to confirm without asking any questions. 'I hope I wont regret this…' she prayed silently.

Sarah concentrated on his features. If anything they helped encourage her to carry out her motions. His thin lips were curved down and challenged her to correct their position. No more than a second later, Sarah placed her lips on his. When it seemed as if he wasn't reacting to her, she draped a hand on his neck to coax him.

Finally, after what felt like so long- his lips parted and he deepened their kiss. It was during this moment when Sarah was flooded with emotion. Relief? Passion? Whatever it was, it felt good- no great. But, as they say-_too much of a good thing…_

Jareth slowly pulled away from the lips that welcomed him so eagerly. He had a smug look about him, which normally would have turned her off, but for some strange reason it intensified the wild imagination within her and it didn't seem wrong at all. That's when she caught herself. 'No Sarah… at least not_ for now.'_

"You just left…" she explained with her eyes glued on him. This moment was the first in a long while where her gaze did challenge his. True, her emerald eyes were consumed by fervor, but it was as if they were saying, 'Now what are you going to do to make it up to me?'

A few seconds had passed before Jareth's brain registered his current situation. It seemed as if the tables were turning and Sarah was slipping from his grip -perhaps not _Sarah_ herself, but his ability of exercising control of some sorts over her. Not to mention that it wasn't in his nature to apologize.

Seeing as how she wasn't getting anything out of him, she started to stand causing him to move out of her way. The almighty King of the Goblins then placed himself against the kitchen doorframe and watched her in silence, taking in as much of her image as he could.

"So you're here to play twenty questions, right?" she asked cleaning the table of its dishes.

"Twenty questions?" clearly he wasn't familiar with what she meant.

"You know, ask me twenty questions and… well we aren't playing that, I just meant that we're asking questions…" her voice fades toward the end of her explanation as light embarrassment hit her.

"I see. Well then, shall we begin?" Jareth suggested with a grin on his face.

Sarah gave him a nod. "I've got a few things to finish up with in my room, so we can talk there," she half lied. 'Or rather, I'm just feeling a bit uneasy with you here just in case Toby and everyone else comes back.' She explained to herself mentally.

* * *

Jareth was surprised to see the clutter of boxes placed about in her room. They weren't there previously- not to mention everything else was barren. 

Sarah's sigh drew Jareth's attention away from the area. "You can sit there," she motioned to her bed, the only surface available.

She was about to take steps further into the chaotic forest of brown boxes when his gloved hands grasped onto hers and pulled her to him. "Come with me to my castle?" he said.

She couldn't tell if it was a question or a command. "I don't know, its just…Theres so much to do..." her eyes shifted to the boxes lying about. It was a half lie- she did want to go back to that strange land where nothing was as it seemed, but not forever. Or maybe just not with him… truth be told, she didn't know her reasoning. Sarah knew he was thinking something that made him feel awfully clever. It was clear as soon as that smirk crept onto his face.

"Well, well, you have grown. What happened to the Sarah that would always run away from her real world to go to her fantasy land?"

It took some time to think of a response. When she thought about it, during the time she spent packing her boxes, she was able to reflect upon many things- in particular, her thoughts about him from her teenage years. It was true that she didn't fully forgive him because her lasting impression of him was a ruthless man who would do all he could to win. On the other hand, her now, much older brain went against her teenage one saying, 'Wouldn't you do that for love? Wouldn't you give that person anything they desired and do whatever you could to win them over?' It was then when she concluded that he wasn't such a bad figure after all. Still, the Goblin King, just like any other person, would have to earn her complete trust.

A smile crept onto her face, he eyes burned with intensity, "She grew up, just as you said, Goblin King. That _Sarah_ that you speak of realized that living in fantasy and dreamlands is something that just can't be done. Your labyrinth helped her understand that she couldn't be a child forever, but there was no rush to grow up either." The smile on her face was filled with a longing for the past, but she wasn't sure if he caught it.

With each word she spoke, he felt her slowly slipping away. "Would you still refuse… if I offered you your dreams again?"

He didn't expect her to smile.

"How do you know what my dreams are?" she teased, knowing he was fully serious. "What it they have nothing to do with the underground?"

Jareth felt some sort of relief. He thought she would have taken the sarcastic route, but this was new. Surprisingly, she also didn't mention anything like, 'What if they have nothing to do with you?'

Sarah was being defiant like how he so often would describe her, but she was avoiding confrontation-if that was even possible.

His expression didn't change at all. His eyebrows were curved in a manner indicating intensive thoughts. His lips pursed together and tightened. The Goblin King's expression was difficult to make out except for the fact that he seemed to be anything but happy.

"I can't imagine what it would be like there…and what I'd miss here if I went. There are so many questions on my mind about things like that." She attempted to explain. "I need to hear a few things from you first and maybe we can _negotiate._"

"This isn't a treaty, Sarah." He sighed. "For the second time, I have offered you something that you seem to be tossing away." Jareth's voice was stern as he spoke.

"Why do you toy with me?" her head cocked to the side. The mood changed instantly. "Your intentions have to be more than what I think they are. What do you want from me now?"

At first, he said nothing. "Tell me Sarah, have you been happy with your life here? -with that stepmother of yours?" he asked stepping away from her, venturing further toward her desk where a lone book caught his eye. Before picking it up, his eyes shifted to observe her. "Would you be happy with them? With those fools that call themselves men and try to pursue you even though their efforts are futile?" he waved the book at her.

'No.' was the first word to pop into her head. However, after consideration, there was at least one thing that would make her happy here. "But," she began to answer.

Jareth's lips curved downward. "You can't even comprehend it? I want to give you the happiness you deserve." With a twist of his wrist, a crystal formed in his palm. "Yes, you conquered my labyrinth of which so many have failed- and only when you were fifteen. You amaze me and defy me." He held his palm out toward her. "Sarah, I am offering you your dreams."

* * *

**A/N: Ahhhh!!! I hope this was …enjoyable. Again, thank you for sticking with this story! Please don't forget to review for me! I love your feedback!**

Special thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter: aaanderson, animetvgirl, bra4goten, carrie132, Ginabella59, HappyDepressive, hazlgrnLizzy, The Hot Mage Aeris, Irene Sharda, Madamoiselle La Lune, notwritten, and SuicidalAphrodite.


	11. Chapter Ten: Of All Things

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the Labyrinth. Yep, do own the characters I created.**

A/N: Its been a while! Sorry! I had some problems writing, but I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Ten: Of All Things**

"Offering? No, that's called _forcing!_" Sarah retorted.

Jareth sighed, but still held out his palm. "Sarah, _please…" _But when she didn't respond, he had no choice but to step in, "Thirteen hours." He stated simply, knowing that it would be near impossible to convince her of staying there permanently… at least for now.

"What?" she asked, still infuriated and now slightly confused.

"Thirteen hours of your _busy _life is all I ask… and if you enjoy your time there, you'll consider staying?" He was proud of his ability to think quickly, but he would be even more proud if and when she agreed.

It sounded too good to be true. Just spend thirteen hours with him, get your fill of your childhood fantasy… yes, much too good to be true. This time she made sure to think of all possible twists of words and such things. Of course, there was the opportunity to bend things in her favor, right? "Okay… but three of those thirteen hours must be spent up here." 'Now how is this bending anything in your favor?' the tiny voice in her head challenged her decision.

A grin appeared on his face as he nodded. 'Ten hours,' he thought, 'that should be enough.' He could almost picture her now. There she would be, standing before him as his queen. Sure he was jumping the gun a little, but it was nice to imagine.

"Alright," he said finally. "Shall we begin tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow…?" she paused in thought, "No."

Was she intentionally trying to ruffle his feathers? Perhaps… "No?" Jareth questioned, his eyes narrowed a slightly as a natural response. 'No one says no to Jareth, The Goblin King,' he thought haughtily waiting for an explanation.

"Let's start today?" her words were slow, as if she was giving it immense thought.

"Today..?" Jareth appeared a bit shocked by her suggestion. "I suppose today would be all right."

* * *

Actually, Sarah had no idea what she was saying. 'Today?! What the hell are you thinking, '_Let's start today?' … Stupid. _' Sarah smiled to cover up the inner distress she caused herself. "Um… So let's go somewhere around here…ah let me get changed please?" she spoke completely flustered.

Jareth, thinking it best to give her some time to compose herself, stepped out of her room closing her door behind him. Hopefully she caught his gentlemanly gesture and that raised her affection for him slightly. After all, everything he did was indeed for her.

After his highness closed the door, it took a few seconds for Sarah's mind to kick into gear. What just happened? 'Oh, right' she thought while rummaging through her near barren closet, 'I just rushed into spending time with the Goblin King.' Sarah couldn't tell if she was excited or terrified. It was amazing that she didn't immediately agree to go to the Underground with him. Life here as it was, wasn't life at all… but things were perking up- what with meeting Connor… Sarah sighed. 'It isn't about which one to pick,' she told herself as her hand landed on the perfect outfit.

She placed the black quarter sleeved dress against her body and immediately removed it from the hangar. After slipping it on, her thoughts wandered about.

Sarah opened the door only to find Jareth leaning on the wall across from her. His eyes clearly trailed up and down her body, the smirk on his face making its way to a devilish grin.

Her hair was straight down, just how he loved it…and with the way the dress hugged her curves, 'Oh Gods,' he groaned mentally.

Sarah had to admit it, she liked having this power over him. She laughed softly to herself, 'Perhaps this is what he enjoys about power.' Sarah's lips parted into a smile as she watched his reactions. "So... What do we do about your clothes?"

"Forgotten my skills all ready?" he laughed. With a wave of his hand, Jareth assured her that he would be well in disguise.

Of course, Sarah wasn't so sure, "You don't look any different."

"Not to you. You've already seen me as my true self." He attempted to explain her.

Still skeptical, Sarah opened her mouth but was quickly interrupted by his voice, "Sarah, really, everyone who has seen me has forgotten who I am. Those who failed to run the labyrinth have no recollection of who I am. I assure you, only you see me like this in the aboveground."

* * *

In a strange way, Sarah was happy to be with him on the busy street. Sure, they weren't _together_ as in joined together physically by their hands, but she felt there was an air about them that gave off a more than just friends relationship. Of course, it could be all in her head. She knew she did have a tendency to let her imagination run wild. At first it was strange to be out in the open with the Goblin King. He just looked so odd walking through crowds of everyday people.

"Where are we going?" Jareth asked.

His voice shook her from her thoughts. "Oh, well, I thought maybe the park would be nice. I just want to show you the places that mean a lot to me…"

Jareth was silent. Sarah hoped that he understood what she meant. 'I'm going to show you the places that hold a place in my heart- like your labyrinth.' she silently told him.

As they walked down the street together, Sarah thought of things to say in attempts to find out more about the man walking beside her. "So what are we going to be doing when we go..."

"To my castle?" he said, finishing her sentence.

"Yes...there." Sarah quickly glanced at him.

Jareth shot her a little grin, "Well, giving away such surprises isn't really my _style_."

* * *

The park was beautiful, as always. Few people were present, with the exception of a painter near a tree.

"Sarah?" a voice asked. No, it wasn't Jareth's. It didnt have an accent...but it definitely belonged to a man. Both Sarah and Jareth turned to the origin of the voice.

"Connor!" Sarah's eyes widened. 'Crap.' was the first word in her mind.

Initially upon seeing the other man, Jareth instinctively took Sarah's hand in his. His eyes narrowed for a spit second as protectiveness engulfed every inch of his body. 'Oh, well what do we have here?' he silently asked, jealousy taking over. 'Its that fool that was in her dreams...that gave her the book.'

For a moment, Sarah couldn't process what was happening. Her eyes widened and her brain went on overload. She didn't even notice that Jareth was holding her hand. Connor was just standing there with a smile on his face. 'Okay, just play it cool,' she encouraged herself. "Uh, Jar…emy. I mean, Jeremy," Sarah laughed nervously, glancing at Jareth, "Jeremy, this is Connor." An arched eyebrow on Jareth's face was only to be expected. However, unbeknownst to her, the King of the Goblins was a wonderful actor.

"Oh, a friend of yours?" Jareth tilted his head toward Sarah and shot her a look of concern, but once he faced Connor, he immediately put on his act. Jareth held out his hand to the man before him, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

As the two men shook hands, Sarah desperately searched her brain for something to say, but Connor spoke first.

"So Sarah, is this your boyfriend?" It was obvious that Connor felt awkward. The curve of his lips wasn't quite a smile, but seemed to be mixture of a frown and a sheepish grin.

At first, her eyes drifted to her hand which was joined with his, then up to Jareth for an answer, but the Goblin King remained poised and had a questioning look on his face as well. "Well," she started slowly, "we're… dating." As soon as she finished her sentence, she could feel her cheeks burning. '_Dating?!_' the word echoed in her head.

"I see, well it was nice meeting you…" Conner paused, taking a good look at the blond male. "I'd best be on my way now, Good-bye, Sarah." Connor gave a small smile and turned to leave.

"Oh, bye...Keep in touch?" she asked, feeling bad for being the cause of his discomfort.

"Sure." He said without turning around and simply waved.

'That was cold.' Sarah thought.

"So, that's the one that wrote the book... There is something familiar about him…" Jareth didn't even make eye contact on her. Instead, his eyes were glued on the man leaving them.

"What?" she asked, expecting more question's about Connor.

Jareth's voice was stern, "It seems that he _likes_ you."

Sarah sighed. 'Well I guess it doesn't matter anyway, does it?' she asked herself. "Well, I told him we're dating..." she sighed again.

"You sound disappointed..." now Jareth's tone was down. "If I am correct, _dating_ is similar to _courting_?"

"Sort of." she half corrected. "Well, let's sit down somewhere?" she asked, but pulled him along anyway.

Jareth stumbled at first. This is what he loved about this woman. Yes, she controlled parts of his emotions, but for the most part- she was able to make him smile. Not any kind of smile, but a true happy smile that wasn't influenced by another's misfortune or having his own way of things.

Jareth found himself comfortable leaning against a nearby tree, while Sarah sat near him. After she caught her breath from the unexpected encounter, Sarah glanced up at him. The whole image of Jareth leaning against the trunk of a tree was, well… it was _Jareth_. His eyes weren't on her at the moment and he seemed so relaxed, but his face had a somewhat solemn expression- as if something was on his mind.

"Hey," she said aiming to get his attention. "Isn't it nice?" Sarah turned to look at the rest of the scenery. "I would come here a lot when I was younger."

'I know.' He wanted to say. 'I've had my eye on you for quite some time.'

A sigh escaped from her lips as they parted into a smile. Sarah slowly stood up, brushing the loose grass from her dress. She then repositioned herself next to him by the tree. "Do you want to do something else? You look bored."

"Well, I could think of _other_ things to do," he laughed, "but this is doable- for now."

The closer she got to him, the faster her heart would beat. There was no denying it now- this is definitely attraction. The physical attraction was there and the only other thing needed was the emotional half of it. Now that she thought about it, the physical attraction was always there…

Little did Sarah know, Jareth had his eyes on her the whole time. She was looking at the ground, concentrating very hard. He found it somewhat comical. Just as he was about to say something, she turned to look at him. Her mouth opened as if she was going to say something, but then closed. Jareth wasn't sure what to make of that. 'Only about an hour has gone by,' he thought.

As if Sarah knew what he was thinking, she finally spoke, "Well, we aren't getting anywhere like this, are we?"

"What would you like to do?" he asked.

Sarah's brain proposed a series of suggestions, 'Oh I don't know- get closer to you, have my heart beat faster, or maybe just tell you that I really am thinking of changing my whole life for you?'

Before she responded, he spoke, "It seems as if you're overworking your brain, love." This time he stood up and nonchalantly made his way in front of her. "Sarah," he said, using an arm to lean against the tree and draw himself closer to her. The grin on his face was a clear indicator of his confidence. They were merely inches away from each other now and he was slowly getting closer.

As each second went by, she could hear the pounding of her heart grow louder and louder. Her eyes closed in anticipation of his lips touching hers.

* * *

As soon as he set foot into his apartment, Connor bolted to the bookcase adorn with novels and textbooks of varying size. Finally, after searching for a few minutes, he pulled a thick dusty book from its resting place. "Oh, that's right." He laughed leafing through the pages. "Hmm… Jareth," Connor pointed to a picture in the book. "So Jareth, King of the Goblins, has his eyes on her too?"

* * *

**A/N: I can't belive how much reviews I had for the last chapter. We're five away from one hundred and that is so AMAZING! I never imagined that the story would gather so much attention! Thank you again! I hope you'll review again for this one! Please?**

Much mahalos goes out to aaanderson, animetvgirl, TheBabeWithThePower, carrie132, CoffeeKris, futrCSI1490, Ginabella59, Happy Depressive, hazlgrnLizzy, The Hot Mage Aeris, Irene Sharda, jojo661538, Kaline Reine, moonie, notwritten, PassionHime, SuicidalAphrodite, Sylistra the Scholar.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Thrill

Disclaimer: The Labyrinth is a wonderful movie that isn't mine- I just pay tribute to it by writing this little story

**Disclaimer: The Labyrinth is a wonderful movie that isn't mine- I just pay tribute to it by writing this little story. The plot as well as Connor and Lili are mine. **

**A/N: So I've been hyped up from everyone's encouraging reviews (I can't belive there are over 100!) and this is what I have for you. …even though it took a long time. –sigh-**

* * *

Within

Chapter Eleven: Thrill

Jareth's grin only widened. If anything, her display of eagerness only made him want to kiss her more. He wanted to relish this moment as best as he could. Slowly, his lips made their way to hers. At first, he softly pressed them against hers, teasing her with his touch. Or perhaps, teasing himself.

Overcome with the impulse to further things faster, Sarah couldn't resist the temptation to draw him in. Her hands slowly wrapped around his neck, pulling him toward her. Her lips parted, taking his lower lip into her mouth just a bit. Then hoping to spark a little more enthusiasm out of him, she bit down softly on his lip. Soon enough, Sarah got what she wanted. Jareth's lips parted and their tongues finally met.

The kiss lasted for quite some time. Sarah's hand slowly drifted from Jareth's neck to his jaw. The way her fingers traced his jawline… the way her other hand fit so perfectly draped around his neck… Her touch was all the encouragement he needed to deepen their kiss.

Sarah felt as if she was melting. Her emotions and senses felt like they were slowly meshing into one. Everything fit perfectly, even if it was just for this moment. With each second passing, troubling thoughts of current life problems and future concerns disintegrated from her consciousness.

Before she knew it, Jareth's arms had wrapped themselves around her in a strong embrace and their kiss ended. As her eyes slowly opened, Sarah found that Jareth's expression had softened and for the first time there was no arrogance about him. 'This man is full of surprises,' she told herself, 'I hardly know anything about him.'

"Jareth?" she asked softly. This time, her eyes didn't avert away from him. He liked the way his name sounded escaping from her lips. In response, all he did was raise a brow. Sarah's expression had changed then. She shot him a puzzled look. "I don't know anything about you."

All he did was grin.

"Don't be so concerned, love." Jareth was proud that he was a step ahead of her. "That will be resolved during our little trip together. Anyway," he continued, "it seems that there are a few things I don't know about you." And with that, his hold on her released.

Her eyes narrowed for a brief moment when she realized what- or rather who he implied. "What ever could you mean?" her mocking tone challenged him.

"Well," he rested his arm right next to her head on the tree trunk. "It seems that you and that writer have quite the chemistry."

The corner of her mouth began to stretch into a grin as she cocked her head to the side. "Jealous, are you?"

'It only makes me want you more.' His brain commented.

* * *

Conner sighed. Once again, he sat in front of an empty computer screen. He thought he found happiness. 'So much for that.' His mind ridiculed, 'How many years has it been?'

His fingers began to type rhythmically. With each stroke, beautiful prose began to appear on the blank white space. "For what felt like an eternity- and it was, he was doomed to be alone for all the years of his life… or so it seemed." He said as his fingers listened. 'Melodramatic, isn't it?' he sighed. "For thousands upon thousands of years, I have seen remarkable things."

Connor couldn't help laughing at himself, "Falling in love with such beauty is always my mistake."

* * *

A few minutes passed since she mentioned _that_ word. Still, there was no response for him. Jareth's mind was too busy- Connor was a threat to him… and a threat no matter how big or small, was still a threat.

"Jareth?" Her brows knitted together and concern was clearly visible in her eyes. When this attempt to gain his reaction failed, Sarah's worries began to take over. 'Is he mad?' was one thought that came to her. 'Maybe he's hurt…?' was another possibility.

After mustering up some courage and energy, she placed her hand around his. "Hey.."

His hand slipped out of hers and in turn, his arm wrapped around her. 'Finally!' she thought. "What were you thinking about?" curiosity got the best of her.

Jareth shook his head. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with." He attempted to reassure. 'Though it does concern you,' his brain chimed in.

Sarah let a frown show for a brief few seconds. Then as if an idea came to her and brightened the moment, a smile reappeared. "I must be out of my mind," she said particularly to herself. "I was going to meet one of my friends for dinner. She's a really good friend… but anyway, would you like to come with?" In a way, she hoped that he was turned off to the idea. Maybe then she could stop and think about this _future_ he proposed and he wouldn't be around to influence her. Yet, a part of her wanted him to stay. After all, the unknown was the most thrilling.

"Possibly," he put a gloved finger to his lips.

It seemed that ever since she admitted it, he grew more and more attractive. His pose with his finger on his lip set her in a trance.

Slowly, as if he was unsure, Jareth spoke, "I've got to take care of things for a moment… but yes, dinner would be nice."

A smile crossed her face. "So…would two hours be too early? I was going to meet her by six."

"No, no. That should be enough." He said taking a step closer to her.

In a way, she expected him to move toward her. She knew by now that he'd try to impress her or leave her with thoughts of him. So instead of giving him this opportunity, she decided to take her own chances. Just when he was close enough, just when he was going to act suave and make his move, she kissed him. She wasn't sure if he was surprised or not, but it didn't matter. 'Maybe there's magic in his lips…and its just so relaxing. Like a drug…' her brain commented as it was melting.

It was over almost as soon as it started. His gaze stayed on her for a moment. Shortly after, a grin crossed his face. She could imagine his potential words, 'Interesting, I'm amused,' her brain tried its best to mimic his accent.

Jareth knew what she was thinking. He could tell so easily. It wasn't because he could effortlessly tap into her psyche, but it was easy to read her actions. Her posture, her expressions, and all her little tendencies to do certain things when she was feeling a specific emotion were easy to distinguish. "Interesting? I'm amused?" Jareth let a small chuckle escape him. "No, rather, …I'm quite impressed, love." Before his words could process in her head, he had disappeared.

* * *

Jareth was proud of both himself and his future queen, but this wasn't the time to relish such thoughts. After making his way to the throne room, the Goblin King began to utter specific orders to his subjects. "Clean up! I want this room spotless!" "Make sure the whole castle is presentable!"

Finally, it was time for the most crucial part of the plan.

"Azan?" Jareth called out.

"Yes, your highness?" responded a large burly Dwarf.

Jareth bent his knees and lowered himself to talk to Azan. "I'd like you to find the dwarf known as _Hoggle._ I think you should know his whereabouts. Bring him back to the castle."

The dwarf nodded. "Of course, your highness."

As the dwarf made his way to the door leading to the Goblin City, a grin emerged from Jareth's lips. "Perfect," he said softly. "She'll be mine soon." He laughed. It had been a long while since he laughed like this. Perhaps since the little boy, Toby had been in his arms.

The goblins in his throne room stared at him, not knowing exactly why their king was in such a good mood. When Jareth noticed this, his laughter subsided. "Well? Laugh." He commanded. In less than a second, laughter filled the castle beyond the Goblin City.

* * *

"Lili?" Sarah asked, pressing the phone receiver to her ear. "Do me a favor please? ...No, I'm not canceling my plans with you." Sarah sighed. Lili seemed always extra paranoid when it came to last minute phone calls. Especially if something was planned for the day. "No, Lili. No- Hey! I said I wasn't going to cancel. Yeah... So I was going to ask if I could bring a friend along?" Another sigh escaped Sarah's lips. "No, not the _writer guy_. No...he's- Well, you know what Lili? I still have to get ready so if you really are _dying_ to hear about him then just come over for a bit. The door is open."

An almost high shrieking sound could be heard from the opposite end of the line, followed by a 'click'.

Sarah laughed. "I guess that was a yes," she said hanging up the phone.

A previously packed box was sliced open and had its contents spilling out. It seemed as if the shirts, dresses, skirts, and pants packed in the box ripped their way out and were trying to escape. Two different options were awaiting Sarah's decision. She had them in her arms.

"Which one?" she asked to her reflection in the mirror.

On one hanger was a little black dress. "Because every woman should have a little black dress! I just happen to have more than one." she commented to no one in particular. From the front, the dress would appear to be normal, but from the back it was another story. The simple tank top sleeves went from, well, simple to crossing x's until her lower back. In a way it was a bit risqué,

but it still had a nice, elegant look. If all else failed, Sarah planned to bring a light jacket with her.

On the other hand, her other option begged to be given attention. Though it was less _flashy_ than its black counterpart, the loose coral tank-top-style dress was very flattering. Not to mention that the color of the dress brought out the color of her lips too.

In midst of her decision making, the doorbell rang.

"I'm upstairs," she yelled. Surprisingly, Lili must have heard her because she could hear footsteps rushing her way.

"Since when do you get so excited about things like this?" Sarah asked as Lili made her way through the doorway.

"Since my best friend who I hardly talk to ends up with a _special friend_ who isn't gorgeous writer guy!" Lili responded, laughing. "So who is he?"

A wide smile emerged on Sarah's face. "Well, which one do you think I should wear?" she asked holding up both of her alternatives.

"Who is he?" Lili put a hand on her hip this time. A smile was still on her face, but she was getting more serious with every answer-dodge Sarah gave.

Sarah hesitated to answer. "He's a ...king...of sorts." she said, cautious with her words.

Lili had a tendency to wear her emotions on her sleeve. Her brows furrowed together and she shot Sarah a look of disbelief. Lili pursed her lips together before speaking, "A …king?"

"Well, not a king!" Sarah laughed partially out of her own insecurity. "He's kind of odd at first, but well, you'll see for yourself. Anyway, which one?" she held up the two dresses.

"Oh you mean he's foreign? Well, honey, if he's foreign I'd pick that little baby." Lili pointed to the black dress. "It looks like it'll reveal a little and still leave him guessing, ya know?"

Sarah took this opportunity to shoo Lili out of the room. That way there would be time to really consider the choice and plan out how to approach certain things in the evening-should they occur.

Endless thoughts made their way through her mind as she slipped on the black dress. Lili was right on the dot. The material of the dress hugged her curves and the back was especially eye catching. "I should cover this up and surprise him with it later."

* * *

**A/N: Its so hard to believe that this story has over 110 reviews! You've made me so happy! Thanks for your encouragement everyone. I look forward to reading more of your reviews! Again, I have to apologize! I'm sorry I took so long to update. I guess we can look forward to updates every other week for now. School has been piling on exams and such so my attention was geared toward taking care of those things.**

**Thank you to- aaanderson, animetvgirl, TheBabeWithThePower9, carrie132, CoffeeKris, futrCSI1490, Ginabella59, HappyDepressive, hazlgrnlizzy, Irene Sharda, jojo661538, notwritten, Percy McNeal, SuicidalAphrodite, Violetcarson,**


	13. Chapter Twelve: Imprévisible

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth or the characters in the movie…or book I suppose**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth or the characters in the movie…or book I suppose. Also, there are references to the ever popular, _As the World Falls Down – David Bowie. _Connor, Lili, and Azan are my creations. Also I've mentioned a few dishes here that are actually from restaurants (La Bergerie). And the Montrose 1970 wine does exist…I do believe. (Yahoo said so)**

**A/N: I'm really sorry that last chapter took forever…and for this one too… But as always, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Twelve: Imprévisible**

It took Jareth merely ten minutes to ready himself for the evening. Of course, attire wise, he donned his usual get up- boots, tights, loose poet shirt with a low neckline- hold the cape. Lately, he was becoming fond of black. Though similar to the outfit he wore earlier in the day, this one featured a few ruffles here and there. He saved his leather jacket from neglect as he slowly slipped it over his shoulders and onto his body. This is where the full body mirror in his dressing chamber became helpful. After stopping in the throne room to make sure everything was going according to plan, he quickly transported himself to his destination.

* * *

"Okay, see you there." Sarah waved as Lili made her way to the restraunt. That's when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, Sarah instinctively whipped her head around to the source, only to find him standing there. Everything about him was arrogant, as usual. Her sudden shock must have amused him since he had that cocky grin plastered on his face.

"Hello." he said with a ring in his voice.

Sarah pursed her lips together and her eyes narrowed for an instant. "Well," she started, "let the games begin."

He raised a brow, "What?"

"Oh," Sarah smirked, "nothing." Compelled with the urge to send him for a loop, she couldn't resist slowly removing her jacket. She made it a point to do this while walking ahead of him and slowly heading up the stairs. "I have to check something." She could feel his eyes on her. His gaze was burning her back.

Just as soon as she strode away from him, he could tell something was odd. His eyes trailed down her body as she began to reveal what lay under her jacket. A grin made its way across his face.

Upon reaching her room, she took a moment to stand there and relish what just happened. Sarah enjoyed having some power over him. At least this was something he had no control of. She placed the jacket over her shoulder so the little patches of skin on her back could still be seen. As she slowly went downstairs, a small smile curved its way along her lips, "Shall we get going?"

It was hard to resist reaching out to touch the little bits of naked flesh that called out to him. Deep down inside, he knew that she was aware of what she was doing to him. In a way, it only excited him more.

* * *

Liliana sat at the empty table waiting for her buddy and the mysterious man that captured her friend's heart. She took a sip of water while drumming her fingers on the table. "Where IS she?" Lili cried out staring at the entrance. In even more attempts to keep herself busy, she proceeded to search through the menu for what felt like the twentieth time even though she had already decided on what she wanted to eat.

About five menu reviews and ten minutes later, Lili finally heard a familiar voice. Luckily she wasn't just hearing things this time seeing as how a familiar face also accompanied the familiar voice. "You're late!" she pouted, but her mood quickly changed as the tall, lean, blonde, sexy-man came into view. "Oh, hi." Lili managed to say through her wide smile.

Sarah laughed. 'Maybe I should bring him along every time I end up being late.' She thought. "Jareth," she said, turning her head to look at him, "this is Liliana."

As soon as she heard her full name, she jumped in. "Its Lili. Nice to meet you."

Sarah sat as the two made their introductions. She slipped her jacket on and let her eyes wander around the room. Ignoring them, she opened the menu before her. A vast variety of different dining options were calling out to her. All of them looked delicious. She could just picture how everything would taste.

Jareth's touch on her shoulder brought her back from her imaginary feast. Then it occurred to her, "Jareth, you know what these are right?" she asked suddenly.

Before he could respond, Lili asked slightly confused, "Well, why wouldn't he?"

"Well…" Sarah paused, thinking of a plausible excuse.

"I'm from out of town… well, the country if you will." Jareth offered. Then he turned to Sarah, "Don't worry love, I am familiar with such dishes. Well, being of noble blood…"

"So you really are royalty?!" Lili shouted.

A small grin appeared on Jareth's face. As for Sarah, she was worrying over the fact that something was bound to slip and she'd have further explaining to do. In a way, she was upset. It seemed like she was the only one concerned of the consequences of slipping Jareth's identity. Not to mention, he was hardly even talking to her or paying attention. Just thinking about it made her emotions lean toward infuriation. She was actually jealous, like a teenager.

"Sarah?" Lili attempted to get her friend's attention.

"Huh?" She looked up, "Oh, yes?"

"Spacing out?" Lili laughed.

"What are you going to get?" Sarah asked, changing the subject as nonchalantly as possible. Her eyes shifted toward the handsome Goblin King next to her. Her mind begged him to look her way. As if he could hear her words, his eyes met hers in compliance. For a split second, she was thrown off. Throwing the shock aside, she shot him a look that seemed all too familiar.

With that one glance, he was blown away. Her eyes drew him in. Their emerald glint beseeched him for attention. A small smile could be seen, fighting its way to curve her lips. 'What could she be thinking?' his brain asked as he glanced back at the menu. "How intriguing," he said softly, curving his eyebrow.

"What is? Did you find something good?" Lili asked curiously. She couldn't help at jumping for the chance to exchange words with the gorgeous man of noble blood sitting near her. Lili just wanted to die- in two different ways. First off, this was the first time in her life where she met anyone of royal standards. However, death was her second wish because she knew he was off limits. Still, she couldn't resist talking to him. Apologies would have to be given later seeing as how temptation was all too tantalizing.

Jareth's grin was almost too obvious. "I believe so," the slight chuckle he gave not to mention the slight emphasis of his words was a clear indication that he was amused by something.

Just when Sarah thought he was thinking about food, she saw his glance. His eyes drifted her way and that arrogant grin he had reassured her that food was the last thing on his mind. To make sure, she slipped her jacket down, revealing hints of skin and carefully watched his eyes in her peripheral vision. It wasn't exactly clear to her- why did she have to hide her attraction to him? Maybe it was just one of those modest things… either way, it heightened her excitement. Or perhaps, the heightening of her excitement came from the fact that she was winning the battle that started just about forty-five minutes ago in her living room.

"I'm thinking about the filet minion," Sarah said with her finger pressed against the glossy picture. "What about you Lili?"

But just before she could answer, a waitress made her way to the table. "And what can I get for all of you?" the blonde asked with a thick French accent.

There was something about her that Sarah disagreed with. What was it? Perhaps the way her shirt seemed too tight for her breasts? Or maybe it was the fact that her eyes were glued on Jareth. There was only one thing to do… "I'll have the filet mignon," she said, keeping her eye on the waitress in attempts to avert her attention. The tone of her voice was almost monotone.

"Um… I'll have the chicken pesto pasta?" Lili sounded unsure, but then nodded in approval of her decision.

It seemed that once the waitress got to Jareth, a smile suddenly popped on her face. "And what about you?" The blonde asked batting her eyes.

Jareth placed his menu down and pointed, "Le Jarret d'Agneau Braisé et son Filet, aux Légumes Cuits dans son Jus, S'il Vous Plaît."

The waitress's smile widened when Jareth spoke. "Oui, Monsieur."

Sara sighed. Determined to establish Jareth's availability she then commented, "_Love_, I wasn't aware you could speak French!" 'Hopefully everyone at the table including that blonde French woman can catch the emphasis there,' Sarah's mind hoped. In a way, she wanted to tell him that it wasn't a compliment and in another way she just wanted to be at home with a bottle of wine.

Just as the blonde was about to walk away, Sarah, who was caught on impulse asked, "Can we have some wine too? The Montrose?"

After a conformational nod, the waitress was out of sight.

"Wine?" Lili asked as if she wasn't aware that her friend drank alcohol.

"Well, I'm not trying to appear sophisticated, but that's the only alcohol they had on here, and I have heard that the Montrose wine is delicious." Sarah explained. 'Or maybe I just want to get rid of some stress,' she thought.

The girls began to converse about everyday things and such. Mean while, Jareth was listening attentively to them speak. It was Sarah's voice that he really paid attention to. He couldn't tune into her inner thoughts for some reason, but essentially, he didn't have to. Under his impression, Sarah was distressed over something.. but that was merely a guess. She would occasionally glance his way and flash him a small smile, but something was just half hearted about it.

Finally the food came. The aroma filled the air and caused everyone's stomach to plead to be filled.

"So what is that?" Sarah asked cutting a piece of her fillet mignon. She glanced at Jareth for a brief second before returning her gaze to the meat.

"Basically…its just Lamb." He explained.

Sarah gave a nod as if she was saying "Oh."

A somewhat awkward silence came over the table as everyone began to eat. It was only until the wine was served that the atmosphere picked up. After taking a sip, Sarah felt some weight lift off of her shoulders. "That reminds me," she said, breaking the long silence. "Lili, I had the best Strawberry Pina Colada on my trip."

"Oh, really? Well, lets go out for a little drink after this then." Lili suggested laughing. Usually, Sarah would decline such offers, but … 'Oh, what the hell.' her brain teased. "Sure. You know a place?"

"Wow, really?" surprised and a bit taken back, Lili nodded, "In fact its not too far from here anyway." She then turned to Jareth, "Is that okay with you?"

Somehow, he felt as if Sarah should have asked him that, but nonetheless, he wasn't really in a position to decline offers. After all, their time aboveground would be over soon…and if everything went according to plan…

"Jareth?" Sarah asked a bit confused as to why he was lost in thought all of a sudden.

He smiled this time. "Sure." Of course, as always, there was a slight hint of devilishness accompanying the curve of his lips.

The meal turned out to be amazing in the end. Promises of sweet drinks and good fun were on Sarah's mind…and probably Lili's as well.

* * *

Liliana headed in first. "This is it," she said.

The bar wasn't too bad at all. Sarah glanced around, following Lili to some stools. The counter top was red, in contrast to the black walls. Behind the bar and bartenders, was a wall of various liquor. As her eyes traveled around, she noticed the small stage with all the spotlights shining at it. Several TV's were positioned around the room, probably for watching games.

"What will you have?" asked one of the bartenders. His white collared shirt looked very crisp and his dirty blonde hair was slicked back with gel. The smile he wore on his face didn't look forced, but something wasn't quite right.

"Can you make us Strawberry Pina Coladas?" Lili asked smiling then glancing at Sarah who was busy telling Jareth about certain aspects of the bar.

Lili watched as the bartender did his tricks- flipping the bottle around in the air, pouring this and that into the glass- until finally, the drinks were whipped up.

She tapped Sarah on the shoulder and handed her the drink. "You missed the show!"

"Oh? Thanks!" Sarah smiled. Her brain was excited for the trip it would have sooner or later. Once she took a sip, she was enslaved. The strawberry syrup muted the taste of alcohol and it was just as if she was drinking a smoothie.

Jareth watched as his future queen enjoyed her drink. 'She's slowly intoxicating herself…' he sighed.

"Try some?" Sarah offered.

At first, he was hesitant. "What _is_ that?" he asked, eyeing the frothy drink.

"It _is_ good!" she persisted, handing the drink to him, then leaving to get another.

He waited for her to return and then reluctantly, he decided to take a sip of the pink smoothie like drink. It wasn't too bad, just- it wasn't his thing. Jareth smiled a little then handed the drink back to Sarah who was watching him closely. "It's alright." He shrugged.

After a few drinks, Sarah was buzzed and Lili was a bit further along. They sat at a nearby table exchanging words and laughing.

"So I called a cab- and I'll be heading home." Lili said, sipping what was left of her drink.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay longer? We can walk you home…" Sarah suggested, hoping that her friend would indeed go home, but safely in the cab.

"No, no, no!" Lili laughed waving her arms about, unable to fully control them as much as she liked. "You need your alone time with your king."

This made Sarah laugh. Deep down inside, that really was what she wanted.

"So, off I go!" Lili smiled, getting out of her seat. She stumbled toward the door with Sarah's help and made her way out.

Sarah then made her way to Jareth. He was still sitting at the bar, talking to a bartender about who knows what.

"Hey," she said, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

Jareth turned to face her. He didn't say anything, just merely raised an eyebrow.

"Let's go?" she asked.

* * *

Outside, events occurred that Jareth couldn't predict.

"You know," Sarah began, "I can still hear that song you sang to me." In fact, the melody was playing in her head. "The one that we danced to…" Her eyes were averted down to her feet. Occasionally, they would wobble, causing her to move closer to him for support.

"And I don't remember if I did tell you this at all, but I did understand what you were trying to say...somewhat. I just… I was fifteen."

He didn't say anything. Her words filled his mind, which at the moment was having a hard time processing everything. When he snapped out of it, he realized she was humming the melody. For years and years, it bothered him- 'Why did she react that way? Why did she run away?' And now, now she was half intoxicated, telling him these things he swore she would never let him know had she been sober.

"_I'll leave my love between the stars,"_ Sarah spoke almost singing it softly. Finally, she smiled, looking up at him and slowing her walking pace. "I really liked that line…"

* * *

**A/N: Well, sorry to stop there! But this chapter was a bit longer than the rest… Things are still moving slowly, so trust me there's a lot more to cover. Is this pace too slow, I wonder? Also, I don't speak French so do correct me if I am wrong.**

**Again, special thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter!**

**Amani07, carrie132, CoffeeKris, FutrCSI1490, Ginabella59, HappyDepressive, hazlgrnLizzy, The Hot Mage Aeris, Irene Sharda, jojo661538, notwritten, Percy McNeal, SucidalAphrodite, Sylistra the scholar, ViperineVampire.**

**Please don't forget to Review this chapter too!**


	14. Chapter Thirteen Part One: Trigger

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own the Labyrinth or the characters in it. I do own, Azan, Connor, and Lili. And for the most part, the plot is also mine, with contributions and suggestions from readers.**

**A/N: Whew. I am so sorry for the long wait on this chapter. Family emergencies and moving out have prevented me from any writing time. I don't know when I'll be able to write more, so I wanted to put up what I have for all of you now.**

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Thirteen Part One: ** **Trigger **

The network in Jareth's mind was going berserk, but on the outside he managed to appear calm. "Sarah, what are you saying?" he managed to ask, even though millions of questions popped in and out of his mind.

"I don't know," she laughed nervously.

He was curious. Her behavior was so odd from the last time he saw her under the influence. First she was angry, gutsy, proud, among other strong characteristics, and now… now she was shy, nervous, "Could it be that you wish to experience something like that again?" It was too hard to hide his grin.

"Oh," She laughed, throwing him off, "I have countless times. In a way- for a while after my _encounter_ with you, I couldn't stand thinking of the song…or of you. And what do you know? I can't help it anyway and sooner or later you pop back into my life, just as I was beginning to think reality escaped me for a night and my imagination ran wild."

The warmth of Jareth's hand on her shoulder caused her to look up. His lips weren't curved into a smile or a frown, but there was something about the way his eyes looked at her that was sincere. Truth be told, she did see this expression on his face before, but it was still new to her.

Thinking better of recently conceived Plan B, Jareth sighed. "There are things I still need to take care of, so I should return to my …"

Again, something unexpected happened. Sarah wrapped her arms around him and held on to him tightly. "Do you have to?" she barely whispered.

It was odd to see her like this- Her guard was down, she was extremely feminine with her words and actions. Jareth had seen so many sides of Sarah Williams today that he only could imagine previously.

"…I could make an exception," he said. 'I'd make any exception for you,' he thought.

* * *

Piles of dusty books were strewn about. Connor sat in the middle of the mess before the massive bookshelf. "Ah, that's right. Jareth the Goblin King lives in the castle beyond the Goblin City. Its been ages since I've been near there." It had been days since he was able to write anything worth reading on his computer. It had been days since she was on his mind and all the while, he wondered why the Goblin King chose to fall for a human woman. He was tempted to give up at first, but why should he? He knew there was some chemistry between them. Maybe, just maybe the girl would fall for him, instead of that cruel king? As he leafed through pages of his book, he searched for an answer to his problems.

"Perhaps there is a way to get back," he said, proud that the idea finally came to him.

* * *

The chair she sat in was vacant when she first visited the room eight years ago…and like eight years ago, the Goblin King was nowhere in sight. Her eyes drifted from one corner of the room to the other. There was the thirteen-hour clock that triggered many memories and there was the spot where she left her friends for the final battle.

She could feel the effects of her previous drinks wearing off as her brain began to process most of the events of the evening- seeing as how a few things were a bit fuzzy. What did she say to him? No, why did she say that to him? Deep down inside, she knew the answers to all these questions. "So it takes a few alcoholic beverages for me to realize things that were pretty evident about myself," she sighed sipping water out of the porcelain cup in her hand.

"Oh? What self- revelation have you had?" came the Goblin King's voice. Jareth, slowly made his way next to her with a smile on his face. At first, he didn't expect her to sit on his throne. After all, he wasn't used to anyone but himself sitting on the throne here, but something about the way she looked there just fit.

"I can't tell you," she responded. A slight smile curved on her lips. "And don't you try to read my thoughts."

"Always a step ahead?" Jareth laughed. "I wont."

"So," she began, "open up to me."

"What?" he asked, once again being hit with the unexpected. 'This woman likes to throw me off.' He noted for future references.

"I know nothing about you, with the exception of what I've experienced and learned from our past encounter…and that isn't too promising." She said, starting to say her thoughts rather than think about them first.

Jareth, also without thinking asked, "And what, my dear, is not so promising?"

"Well, for one- you wouldn't give me my brother back and to prevent me from getting him back you were cruel and devious- and considering more recent events, it is hard to believe you really are the pompous jerk I thought you were." Sarah sighed. 'There, I said it…' Part of her was relieved, but part of her was still on edge. 'Maybe he's going to get mad…' she regretted not being more delicate with her words.

True, her words were harsh, but they weren't wrong. He said nothing at first, causing her to worry more, but just as she was about to apologize, she heard his words.

"I was cruel, you're right about that… But I was everything you wanted me to be. Wouldn't you think that anyone would resort to some form of reasoning in order to keep something they love?" Jareth sighed. This was a lot harder than he imagined it to be. He originally planned to sweep her off her feet once she returned to the Underground, but once again, Sarah Williams managed to foil such plans. At this point, he wanted nothing more than to make sure she understood who he really is.

Sarah watched him intently. Words weren't coming to her mouth. She wanted to disagree with him, but in truth, he was right. Her eyes averted down and her brows furrowed as his words echoed in her mind. A small smile finally crept onto her face. "So what great plans do you have waiting for tomorrow?"

She half meant to change the subject. For one, it opened the gateway to hopefully a happier topic and for another she wouldn't be caught in that awkward 'I'm wrong; you're right, and I know it' stage.

Truth be told, he didn't know about tomorrow. In fact, about ten minutes ago, that was the last thing on his mind.

* * *

**A/N: Again, this is just what I have so far- there will be part two once I have the time to write again! I really want to thank everyone else who reviewed the previous chapter!**

Amani07, Angel, babymene17, bra4goten, carrie132, futrCSI1490, Ginabella59, HappyDepressive, hazlgrnLizzy, Irene Sharda, jojo661538, notwritten, PassionHime, Redhanded Napolean, Sylistra the scholar, ViperineVampire, Welshteen

* * *


	15. Chapter Thirteen Part Two: Love's Gift

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth or any characters from the movie or novel. I just own the random little creatures I've created on my own- Connor for example.**

**A/N: I'm back! Please don't kill me for being gone so long! I hope you enjoy what I've got to offer!**

**

* * *

****Within**

**Chapter Thirteen Part Two: Love's Gift**

Feeling proud that her question had averted his attention to the previous subject, Sarah waited for his response. She amused herself with his features as some time passed. Her eyes held a steady gaze on his face. They began to process all the visual information they could take before she slowly fell into a moment of numbness. This was no ordinary numb sensation, but a sort of numbness that disconnected all thought from her mind. This allowed her to establish a stronger connection to her sensations. What felt almost like a tickle spread from the back of her head through her throat to the rest of her body. This was a first, considering she had always been the type to constantly analyze and over think. What made this whole thing interesting was how addicting the feeling was. In all honesty, at this very moment, Sarah Williams did not mind the Goblin King's lengthy response time.

Finally, Jareth spoke, "My secrets for tomorrow can wait. I believe the present is of more importance." Sarah rose to her feet, but before she could respond, Jareth grasped her hand in his. A smirk curved its way onto his lips, "I wanted to show you where you will be staying for the time being." 'Hah,' she thought, 'well, if that isn't a cause for concern, I don't know what is.' Sarah could not picture what the other parts of the castle looked like. She could only hope that the throne room was the only unkempt, cold area in the castle. Unfortunately, Jareth began to lead her up a winding stairway with a very similar theme. Oddly enough, the atmosphere reminded her a little of something out of the translated version she once read of Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera.

* * *

"Brilliant! You are pure genius!" Connor laughed, praising himself. Beside him lay the book that refreshed his memory of the forbidden- a part of his homeland. In his hands rested a wooden box covered in dust except where his fingers had previously caressed its surface. He slowly opened the box that was untouched for thousands of years. Within his eyes was the image of his unforgettable love's final gift. The beautiful, pink tinged orb begged to be held.

* * *

Sarah was speechless. The drab staircase and everything below lead to Heaven. 'Okay, so this is not Heaven, but it comes pretty close,' she thought in awe. The hallway they ventured into seemed endless. There were numerous doors, all but one was closed. Sarah held her breath as they stepped closer. "Is this…?" she wondered out loud.

"Your room." Jareth gently ushered her forward. He had to admit, his servants did an excellent job of keeping this chamber spotless. What could be a small smile began to appear on his lips. 'Perhaps the correct term is timeless?' he corrected himself. For the room was exactly how he left it prior to what he thought was his final encounter with the woman he loves. His memory was so vivid. There he was, dishing out orders to have everything in place for her arrival, and now she would finally see it. Jareth yearned to watch her expression. He wanted to see her eyes widen and her lips cure into a smile.

Just before she could get a glimpse of the room, her eyes were covered by his hands. Sarah couldn't help letting a soft laugh escape-- after all, having the Goblin King shield her eyes to surprise her wasn't exactly what she expected. After a few blind steps forward, the hand covering her eyes removed itself.

Jareth got his wish. Sarah's eyes widened in awe. The emerald orbs darted back and forth, absorbing as much as they could. First, her eyes rested on the large,downy bed in the upper center of the room. Unconsciously, she approached the crimson and gold pile of fluff. "Silk?" she asked though it sounded more like a statement. Her hands rubbed the material gently until she decided it was time to explore more. The closed curtains matched beautifully with the bed sheets, even though they were slightly darker. The beautiful burgundy velvet was partially intertwined with the sparkling gold cord. Though she was fascinated with the beauty of everything in the room so far, Sarah was desperate to know what the curtains were hiding. Using her hand, she carefully parted the curtains to reveal the answer to her curiosity. She could barely see beyond the window, for the blanket of nightfall covered nearly everything except for the stars.

Jareth smiled, 'This suits her perfectly.' He nodded to himself, proud that she liked what he chose for her. 'Yes,' he thought, 'tonight is much more important than the day to come.' He didn't even want to think of tomorrow's events. In fact, if there was a way to extend this moment, he would have done so.

Sarah's actions reminded him of that strong-willed, fifteen year old he met so long ago. He wanted to laugh and relish the moment, but the surprise was not over. Jareth slowly approached the dresser near him. After quietly opening a drawer to reveal a small silver key, he approached his star-preoccupied love.

She jumped a little when his hand brushed against her shoulder. Before she could open her mouth to ask, he pressed the little key into her palm. As she gazed at the key, he whispered into her ear, "I trust that you can discover what this unlocks?" Sarah turned around. Their eyes locked for a brief moment. Jareth noticed the growing smirk accompanied with challenging eyes staring back at him. He had to hold back a chuckle. Sarah then coolly and confidently strutted toward a magnificent wooden closet.

**Click.**

The doors, unopened for quite some time, creaked softly in protest. Sarah gasped. Though she was no longer fifteen and had grown out of fairy tales-- or so she liked to tell herself-- she was still a woman. Many females have a natural attraction to clothes- Sarah was no different. Granted, she was always a jeans and tee shirt kind of girl, but these gowns did appeal to her. "I guess you can't take the fairytale out of the girl," she said, mainly to herself. Pulling out the first gown she saw, she drew it next to her body and turned to face him. She loved how it wasn't fluffy. Sarah loved the sleek, ivory gown that she held to her body. Its beautiful scoop neck and lack of sleeves gave it a somewhat modern look, while the back's corset like tie suggested of a more sophisticated era. Her favorite part of the gown had to be the elegance factor the train added. 'Its so beautiful,' she thought as she looked down at the gown resting on her body. "How did you know?" she asked, apparently a bit more fascinated with the gown than with the man in front of her.

Jareth laughed. "I didn't, but at the same time I did." When her curved lips began to frown, he laughed even harder. "Frowning doesn't suit you, love." Her expression remained the same as if commanding him to explain. "This wardrobe was a creation from the both of us…" he paused, thinking of the proper words. "It," he began again, "is in tune with our desires." Jareth waited for the information to process, then continued with a grin, "I, for instance, thought a dress that hugged some of your features would look amazing."

Sarah, slightly intrigued by the whole concept pursed her lips in attempts to hide a smirk. "You know," she started, " I've been wondering if all of this is just a facade." Sarah placed the ivory gown back into the closed. Her thoughts were running wild, concocting various situations in her imagination. 'Call me paranoid, but,' she thought. "As I've said so many times before- I don't know anything about you. I wonder…" she paused, taking a step toward him with her index finger pointing in the air. "I wonder if you're the type to always get what he wants… or always wants what he can't have?"

Admittedly, Jareth found it quite the task to connect Sarah's thoughts. 'One moment she is infatuated with the dress, the other she begins to turn on me,' he told himself. 'Where did that come from?' He wanted to know. In a way, her last guess about him held some truth. He usually _did_ get what he wanted-- _except_ when she was in the picture. "Hm? And what are you suggesting, Sarah?" he asked, but offered her no time to answer. " Of course. When does a king _not_ get what he desires? However, you must remember that _my desire _did beat me and the labyrinth oh so many years ago."

In a way, she wanted to reconfirm the last part. 'Is he the type that just wants what he can't have? What if he gets what he wants…will he not want it anymore?' she asked herself silently. Did she really want to know the answer? She decided, 'No. At least not right now.' Half of her wanted to be alone now, but the other half wanted company. She wanted to ponder more, but at the same time, that could prove to be a bad thing to do. 'But I do smell like liquor…' Sarah sighed. "Where can I.." she stopped, attempting to think of the term. 'Do they have showers here?' she wondered, a smile returned to her face. The question was silly, but honestly she didn't know the answer. "Um…bathe?" she finally asked, slightly embarrassed.

That was a good question. Though there were other guest rooms with a bathroom in them, the room he designated for Sarah did not. Truthfully, he had made the assumption that she would have just accepted defeat and he could have tricked her into staying with him for her brother's return to the Aboveground. A place for her to bathe wasn't exactly at the top of his priorities. 'Perhaps she wont mind if I just show her to the nearest bathroom?' he wondered. "This way." he said while heading out of the room.

'Problem solved!' Sarah congratulated herself only to realize that she would need clothes and some of her other belongings. As she followed him, she wondered how she could bring up the fact that she needed to get her clothes. "I can't just wear the gown." she finally said stopping him. "I need to get a few things from my room and I guess I can just take a bath over there…" her voice held a hint of a plea.

* * *

She felt some relief when she saw the familiar. Instinctively she began to go through her dresser and closet, packing a few articles of clothes here and there into a black side bag. 'Luckily he decided to stay back.' she thought. "It would have been a little awkward to have him here when I'm throwing such things around," she laughed pulling out a few undergarments and slipping them into the bag.

A shower was just what she needed. It was soothing and it calmed her nerves. She began to relax as the steam mixed with the scent of her soap.

* * *

It had been so long since he used magic, he wasn't exactly sure what he was doing anymore. Connor sat for what felt like hours, just staring into the sphere in his hands. "Amelinda," he said, clutching the sphere closer to him. "Thank you." Connor had tried his best to forget her, but how could he? She was so beautiful with her long auburn hair- her creamy skin and coral lips. At one point, she was everything to him. He was to die for loving her, but she interfered and saved him. "I have learned to love again," he told the sphere, "I want to love again." "I'm sorry," he repented. Connor closed his eyes, thinking only of the Underground and how he needed to regain his powers.

Unaware of the glowing orb, Connor sighed heavily. 'It doesn't feel any different,' he thought. His breath was just enough air for the orb to take flight off of his hands causing him to open his eyes. For a brief moment, he saw the bubble that was once the pink orb floating until it popped. Connor waited for a moment- nothing changed. "Damn it!" he yelled and placed his hands over his face, rubbing as if to rid some stress.

His eyes were still closed when he removed his hands and placed them on the grass. 'Grass?' he thought, raising an eyebrow. Slowly, he opened his eyes. In less than a second he was on his feet turning in circles and scoping out the area. "Its been a while," he greeted the vast labyrinth before him. "But, I'm not here to play," he said turning away and heading into a barren desert.

* * *

**A/N: Yup, I know I'm a lazy bum. Sorry about that.. but now that I'm in the mood and I have the time, I'm back! I know that I've exposed all of you to Connor a bit more...and I'm hoping that the decision to do so wasn't a bad one. As always, I really do appreciate your suggestions, criticism, etc in a review. So please, R&R.**

**Thank you to all of you who stuck with the story- and I welcome anyone who just got into it ...and got this far? ;)**


	16. Chapter Fourteen: My Little Succubus

Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth or its characters. I do, however, claim to own this plot along with Connor and Lili.

A/N: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to one of my friends- she got me really excited to write when I was having a block. Thanks Rinny!

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Fourteen: My Little Succubus**

Sarah was fully dressed and ready to go after a careful amount of time spent debating what type of sleepwear to pack. At first, she held up a black satin chemise. Though it was what she considered 'sexy' and it took her a very long time to feel comfortable in such a thing, it held a great memory. Sarah let out a little laugh when she thought of _that _birthday.

"_Open it!" demanded Lili. "You'll love it! I promise!" she laughed. _

_Feeling a bit skeptical, Sarah hesitated. She gave the neatly wrapped box a little shake, only to hear light ruffling. 'Hm…it sounds okay,' she thought. "Wait, let me read the card first!" Sarah laughed. After carefully opening the envelope and removing the card, she began to read, _

"_Dear Sarah,_

_HAPPY 21__st__ BIRTHDAY! Now we can Par-tay! _

_I know you'll thank me one day for this baby._

_Always,_

_Lili"_

"_Uh, huh." Sarah turned to her excited friend and slowly began to tear through the wrapping. The box was unmarked, so she couldn't determine where it was from. Once she removed the cover, everyone laughed. "What in the world, Lili? Where am I going to use this?" Sarah managed to say, suppressing as much of her laughter as she could. She held up a chemise that was silky and as black as night. Its deep plunge line was definitely not her style, but she did like the ribbon lace up that accompanied it._

Sarah flattened the chemise on her bed and glanced at her other option-- a plain royal blue camisole and matching lounge pants. Though they screamed comfort, Sarah felt reluctant to bring them with her. 'Its important to be comfortable,' she reasoned. Her brain began to go off on its own, 'But what if he sees you in that? There's nothing to make him_-_' "No!" she cut her thoughts off as her cheeks burned. Sarah sighed. "Maybe I'm crazy," she admitted before shoving both of her options into her bag. 'This is what makes it or brakes it,' she thought. 'If there are no sparks…' her thoughts trailed. No, there were definitely sparks. 'If he doesn't prove himself,' she corrected, 'then I'm out of there.' Part of her wasn't sure why she was being so stern and negative. This half of her gravitated toward the thought of being with him, but she knew what was keeping her from fully relishing the thought. Not only was she afraid of being fooled again, but she feared all the changes that would come if she made the choice to be with him.

The little orb he gave her rested carefully on her pillow. She could hear the instructions he gave her clearly. "Just grab it, and think of where you would like to go," Sarah recalled, simplifying his instructions. Taking a seat on her bed and picking up the sphere, she closed her eyes and conjured up an image of her room away from home. The crimson bed sheets and curtain, the amazing wooden closet, the castle-- all of it was so vivid that she could feel the silky sheets and cool night breeze on her skin. "Mmm," she purred due of the soothing sensation on her skin.

It took her a few seconds to realize what had actually happened. Sarah opened her eyes slowly only to find that she was sitting the very room she recently imagined.

Almost immediately, she thought of him and his whereabouts in the large castle. 'Jareth? Where could he be?' she wondered. 'This would be an excellent hide and seek opportunity,' the child in her suggested. Keeping the thought of a game in mind, her clever wit offered another suggestion, 'Why not have him caught in surprise?' Sarah made her way to the wooden closet and hoped that the ivory gown was still on its hangar. 'Technically, it should still be there,' she reassured herself confidently.

* * *

Jareth could feel her presence. 'Had she been any longer, I would have retrieved her myself,' he noted in relief. His fear of being abandoned by his love was annoyingly persistent. Not to mention, he did give her his word that her thoughts would remain safe from his prying. Unfortunately, his thoughts were not safe from her. Though she left him to return to her world, she never ceased to leave his mind.

He sat near an open window, peering into the night. The cool breeze offered a calming sensation for his busy mind. His original plans had gone awry from the moment he brought her to the Underground ahead of schedule. Now he was at wits end trying to conjure factors that would lead her to him forever.

The ivory train of her gown followed her as she made her way down the hall. Reluctant to call his name, Sarah quietly pressed her ear against each door she came across. After failing to hear any noises for the third time she began to doubt herself. 'Maybe he isn't up here,' she thought. Deciding to give it one last shot, Sarah placed her hand on the doorknob and carefully began to twist. "Jareth?"

His eyes shifted toward the source of the voice. There she was. Her left hand was still on the doorknob, while she brushed her hair out of her face with her right. It only takes a split second for visual information to process through the eyes and to the brain. It also only takes a spit second for someone to take your breath away, and that's exactly what she did. She appeared before him like an angel, or perhaps a fallen angel-- for they were clearly in a place far from Heaven and angels probably didn't have such a smug smirk curved on their lips.

"Found you," she stated, making her way closer to him. Her heart fluttered with each step. It was at this moment that Sarah Williams decided to take matters into her own hands. Though her mind begged her not to walk into the lion's den, she chose to listen to the desires of her heart. She could feel his eyes on her. His solemn stare was so familiar. "But I'll be there for you… as the world falls down," she barely whispered in song. Her eyes closed as nostalgic images of long ago flooded into her imagination. 'He had that same expression,' she recalled.

'He hasn't said a word,' she worried. For a moment, her brows knitted together and her lips curved downward ever so slightly. "Jareth?" she asked, opening her eyes.

'I can't even put into words…' his thoughts trailed off. "You're…stunning," he whispered, still bewildered by her image.

'That's what I want to hear,' she longed to say, but instead a meek, "Thank you" escaped her lips. Sarah could feel the heat on her cheeks. 'Damn,' she cursed silently, even more embarrassed when the image of her glowing pink face appeared in her head. Instinctively, she glanced downward and tilted her head in hopes of masking her blush.

'The perfect opportunity,' Jareth's lips began to curve into a crafty smile. In the blink of an eye, he transported himself mere inches away from her. Tilting her chin up with his gloved index finger almost proved to be fatal. 'Oh Gods,' he groaned silently. For the first time, the Goblin King allowed himself fully indulge in his cravings, regardless of potential consequences. Jareth removed his finger from her chin as his lips met hers with a gentle force. His arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace.

Overwhelmed by her emotions and the sensation of his powerful lips, Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. It was her turn now. She broke their kiss for a moment and glanced into his eyes. Her lips brushed softly against his, teasing him for just a moment. Gently, but with just enough strength for him to feel a small pinch, she bit his lower lip and sucked softly, sending him over the edge.

His grasp on her tightened as the intensity of the kiss increased. Time stopped or at least he felt like it did. His devious plans, his duties as the Goblin King-- none of it mattered.

Sarah herself, was drunk on the moment. She teased his lips with her tongue until she felt satisfied. Giving him one final peck, she broke the kiss. From his knitted eyebrows and slight frown, she could tell he was anything but happy. Admittedly, it was difficult for her to suppress her hunger too. Sarah's lips curved into a smile before she let out a small laugh. She traced her lips with her tongue, and peered into his eyes. "Jareth," she said slowly, keeping his attention, "now it's your turn to dream of me."

* * *

Half way down the hall, Sarah finally caught her breath. Her boost of confidence and pride prevented her triumphant smile from fading. Even as she slipped out of the fairytale gown, her confidence even propelled her to chose the bolder night piece of the two.

The silky bed sheets felt like Heaven on her skin. They were cool to the touch and soft like air. Sleep would have come easily had it not been for her wandering thoughts.

Behind his reserved expression lay an amused smile. "A woman who has such an effect on me is rather dangerous," he admitted, relishing the idea. He let out an exhilarated laugh, "My little succubus…"

* * *

**A/N: This was difficult. I'm at the point where I really feel like I want to hurry up and advance the story, but then I don't want to rush it. Yet- I am afraid that this may be taking it too slow. **

**Well, anyway, let me know what you liked, etc. (_Please Review!)_By the way, check out my profile for a poll. I'm thinking of writing another Labyrinth fic, but I would like to see how many people may be interested in that. **

Thank you to everyone who reviewed- futrCSI1490, hazlgrnLizzy, L., bra4goten, not written, Irene Sharda, Mr. X, Lovely666, magialuna, and blue123.

I'm glad to see some familiar reviewers and I'm happy to welcome the new ones.


	17. Chapter Fifteen:The Lion and the Leopard

Disclaimer: In no way do I own the characters, plot, etc of the Labyrinth. I do own my own characters like Connor, Liliana, etc and the plot for this fan fic.

A/N: I don't think poet shirts can be left open… I mean, as if it were a button up, and the buttons were left undone- but lets just put our imaginations to work, okay? There will be an explanation provided at the end of the chapter, just in case. Oh, and by the way- does anyone know how to indent on this thing? I'm pretty lame when it comes to html...

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Fifteen: The Lion and the Leopard**

Her thoughts refused to quit. All she could think of was _him. _Her eyes were reluctant to rest. Even if she closed them, she would still see his image. In fact, closing her eyes made it worse. She could vividly picture his expression. His slightly curved grin, the surprise in his eyes… "Mmm," she groaned softly. Deep inside of her dwelled an annoying burn to see him— to send him into shock yet again. Sarah bit her lip while considering her options. 'Find him and wing it… or never sleep and always wonder _what if_?' her mind asked. Sarah sighed. Her heart felt as if the answer was obvious.

After making her way out of bed and nearly walking out of the door, her eyes drifted down, glancing at her outfit. 'Running around like this… might not be a good thing,' she told herself as her imagination created various situations of embarrassment-- specifically, the image of a goblin running into her while she was barely clothed. 'I can almost see it,' she thought, nearly horrified of the image in her head. Sarah drifted toward the closet she knew every woman would kill for. The image of a large long sleeved button up shirt was plastered in her mind as she opened the closet door. The shirt presented to her was slightly different than what she hoped for. It was long, lose, black, and more like a poet shirt considering the ruffles near the arm cuffs. Its deep plunge line matched well with her chemise, unfortunately there were no buttons.

* * *

"Conservative…well, sort of," Sarah nodded, satisfied with her appearance. The large black shirt ended half way down her thigh.

As she exited the room, she automatically began to head to the last area where she saw him in hopes that he would still be there. "Was that his study or something?" she wondered. She searched her memory for clues, but she was so heated in the moment that she took little notice of the furnishings in the room. He was all she could focus on at the time. Disappointment overcame her when the closed door revealed a large empty room. The window where she found him was still left open. The night's breeze circulated around the room, giving her a slight chill. Though her body urged her to find him quickly, curiosity won the battle. Stopping for a brief moment before closing the window, Sarah's eyes traced the sparkling stars in the sky. 'This isn't such a horrible place after all,' she reasoned.

* * *

"Enough," Jareth growled. Her lovely rose tinted cheeks and soft pink lips were forever embedded in his mind preventing him from any relaxation. After what felt like an eternity, the sensation of her lips on his still lingered. Yes, he had enough of all this teasing. If he wished, in less than an instant, he could have conjured a wonderful little crystal orb to view her actions and whereabouts. It took every drop of self-restraint to avoid succumbing to such lecherous desires. 'Eavesdropping would be fun,' he thought devilishly. 'But that wont do…' his thoughts trailed. "Peering through glass is quite different from the sensation of actual flesh," he concluded. After all, Jareth the Goblin King did pride himself in what he considered to be his very generous, gentlemanly, attributes. Now, even more so, did he feel that she would appreciate his efforts.

Just as he was about to exit his chamber, he noticed the doorknob slowly turning. 'So she managed to find me again,' he grinned. With no more than a blink of an eye, Jareth transported himself to his private bureau. He sat facing the door with his leg loosely crossed over the other. His right elbow balanced on the surface of the desk and supported his chin while his left arm fell on his leg and his fingers tapped to a silent rhythm. He waited, like a lion, ready to strike his prey down.

She held her breath, preparing herself for yet another let down. To her surprise, opening the door was the easy part, moving from the doorway was much more of a challenge. Ignoring the elegant décor of the room, her emerald eyes fixed themselves on him almost immediately. The white poet shirt he wore no more than a few hours ago was now undone revealing most of his torso. **_*_** All it took for her courage to step up was that sly smirk on his face.

Her bedroom eyes refused to leave him as she spoke. "Relishing this?" Sarah asked with a smile growing across her lips. With each step she took forward, the bravery within her grew. Though her heart fluttered she remained outwardly calm, all the while hoping that he was feeling just as wound up. So caught up in the moment, she was unaware of the silence between them until his voice made its way to her ears.

"My, my, Sarah. This little game of cat and mouse should cease. Don't you agree?" he laughed, thoroughly amused. His fingers still drummed softly on his leg as his eyes trailed every detail of her appearance. 'Who would have thought that the headstrong girl who conquered _my_ labyrinth would become _this?_ This seductress-- this cunning beauty?' Jareth's thoughts raged.

"That all depends," she hid a smirk. His arched eyebrow urged her to continue. "Who is the cat and who is the mouse?" Her lips curved into a crescent smile.

Jareth lips curved into even further into a smile. "And why is it that _you_ are wearing _my_ shirt?"

Sarah's eyebrows momentarily knitted together. '_His_shirt?' she questioned, looking down quickly. Her eyes narrowed briefly before she returned her gaze on him. "I found it in my closet," she explained. Sarah folded her arms and angled her head slightly to the side, "I suppose that you take pleasure in the idea of this image, and that's why this happened to pop into that closet?" When he didn't answer her, a self-satisfied smirk returned to her face. "Jareth," she said slowly to accent his name. "This shirt must look much better on me."

'Touché,' he silently congratulated. At this point, Jareth swiftly returned to his feet and proceeded to take a few steps closer to her. He was always impressed when she stood her ground. "Of course," he agreed. "And what is it that brings you here?" he finally asked.

She searched for an answer, " I…" she began, pausing to think of the right words. "I couldn't sleep," she shrugged, knowing that such a response was probably not what he was hoping to hear. Sarah made her way closer to him until they were just a few inches apart. With a soft smile on her face, she asked, "Did you want your shirt back?" Her fingers outlined the unbuttoned half of the shirt, giving him a glimpse of what she wore beneath it.

Oh Gods how he wanted to say "yes". His eyes followed the path of her fingers before he could finally answer her. His eyes met hers while his right hand stopped her fingers from teasing him. "You can stay here for the night, if you wish," he said, releasing her hand from his.

A bit taken back by his actions, Sarah could only stare. She felt his gloved finger trace a line from her cheek to her lips. Before she knew it, his lips were on hers. Her fingers acted on impulse as they stroked imaginary lines across his chest and around his pendant.

In her previous years experience of meeting men, and dating them, not once did they invoke such intense feelings. She knew she compared all of them to him, so that was partly the reason, but now things were different. As he broke the kiss, all she could do was softly groan in protest.

As much as he didn't want to, he felt that ending their kiss was necessary. Like all males, Jareth also had his limit and he didn't know what would happen if they continued. As he gazed into her eyes, he wondered if she would stay, and if she did then perhaps he should leave. 'But this _is_my private chamber,' he reasoned. Keeping his eyes on her, Jareth began to slip off his opened shirt. He loved how pure she looked when she blushed.

"If you'll excuse me," he spoke nonchalantly, turning away from her to drape the shirt over his chair.

Part of her hoped that was all he would be stripping off. The more she thought about it, the hotter her face became. 'This is your chance,' her mind stated. Sarah turned away from the half naked Goblin King and pulled the large shirt over her head. She placed it on a small table as she made what felt like a mad dash to hide under the bed sheets. In a way, this whole situation reminded her of the dreams she had. The only difference was the uninhibited desire the dream Sarah exhibited.

After making sure she was covered properly, Sarah's eyes curiously drifted his way. She watched as he pulled off his black boots followed by his gloves. 'His hands are so pale,' she thought. 'Come to think of it…have I ever seen his bare hands?' Before she knew it, the only article of clothing left on him was his tights; and from what she knew about tights, well, 'There's only so much you can wear under those,' she thought trying to fight off any unnecessary visions. "Hey!" she called out feeling the embarrassment building up in her. "Do you think… you could leave those on… or I don't know…" her voice trailed.

She wanted to laugh when she saw the confused look on his face. Granted it was only there for a few a few seconds and eventually it was replaced with an arched eyebrow and a smirk. "Amused?" she asked.

Jareth laughed. "I suppose I should have mentioned my sleeping habits before inviting you, but…" he sighed, "I believe this is why that closet is so useful."

It took her a few seconds to understand what he meant. "Oh," was all she could say. Her eyes followed his movements as he briefly excused himself and left the room. Once he was out of sight, she thought about what she would feel comfortable seeing him in. 'Of course, pajama pants may not be to his liking,' she admitted. 'Perhaps...' her thoughts drifted as images of various undergarments came to her mind. 'Boxer shorts would be too funny; and briefs are just… no,' she snickered. Then it hit her, "Boxer briefs?" Sarah could vaguely recall a commercial she once saw for an advertisement of a new style of undergarment for men. Something about it just seemed right.

* * *

When he returned, Sarah had to fight back the urge to laugh. It wasn't that he didn't match- in fact, he matched well with them, but his expression was something she never saw of him before. His brows were knitted together, his lips were pursed, and the way he looked down reminded her of a child.

Her vision slowly dimmed, but was saved by the soft moonlight breaking through parts of the curtain that weren't carefully closed. She didn't know how, but he managed to turn off the lights without moving a muscle. 'Then again…' her mind chimed, 'you know who he is.'

"What do you call these?" he asked, breaking the silence as he climbed into the bed. He didn't expect her to turn to him with such a soft expression. Only then was he able to notice how the moonlight emphasized her beauty. Her creamy skin accented her soft, pink lips, and her eyes glistened with the moonlight.

"Boxer briefs," Sarah answered. Feeling a little more than awkward at the moment, Sarah sighed. "Thanks for… this," she whispered.

Jareth turned to face her, "Anything for you, love," was all he said. He could feel the tension in her body-- obviously she felt some sort of discomfort. He took his chances, knowing that there was a good possibility she might panic. Jareth slowly reached out and placed his hand on her cheek. His eyes carefully watched her expression for any tell tale signs of alarm, but there was none. "Good night, love," he whispered before his lips touched hers.

His hand was warm on her cheek. It was soft and smooth, 'probably because of the gloves,' she thought. His lips felt soothingly warm. Her eyes began to feel heavy as her body relaxed. "Good night," she finally managed to say in barely a whisper.

* * *

The sun's rays made their way into the room, warming up everything they touched. Her eyes slowly opened when the light reached her. Sarah sighed, 'A new day,' she thought while stretching. As her arms brushed the sheet around her, she realized she was alone. "Why do you keep disappearing on me?" she said flatly, hoping that somehow he could hear her.

After making it out of his room and to hers without being seen, she proceeded to ready herself for the day. Her mind worked rapidly to think of his possible whereabouts while she dressed herself. Though she did want to indulge in her fairy tale desires, Sarah chose the modern approach. The light blue tank top she wore hugged her curves and ended just short of her navel, while her denim jeans extended to her ankles. The black Mary Jane shoes she wore had a short heel, making it practical and fashionable.

* * *

What felt like an hour ended up being merely fifteen minutes. After checking the two rooms upstairs she was familiar with, Sarah descended the winding staircase muttering little complaints about Jareth's wonderful vanishing acts. Just as she was about to step down the sound of familiar voices echoed through the staircase.

"And have you gathered _all_ of them?" asked someone—Jareth she presumed.

She could hear the sound of shuffling feet, followed by yet another voice, "Where… Sawah?"

Then another voice spoke up, "You done nothin' to hurt her?"

She could hear Jareth stifle a laugh. "Well, of course not. She's merely sleeping."

'Ludo… and Hoggle?' she wondered, hesitating to take a step further until her curiosity pushed her forward.

* * *

**A/N**: Have you read into the chapter title yet? Anyway, I just wanted to give you guys a little treat- this chapter ended up being a bit longer than some of the others. When I first started to write it, I didn't expect the fluff, but I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to give me a **review** for this chapter as well. (Thanks in advance. I love to hear what you think.)

As **_always_**, a big thank you to the awesome reviews I got from these wonderful people: Rinny, L., CoffeeKris, hazlgrnLizzy, coyoger, Lovely666, LydiaLovegood, TinkLuvr16, notwritten, bra4goten, ProtheroEdward, and Cat O'Connor.

If you're curious- this would be my explanation about Jareth's shirt and how it happened to have the awesome ability of opening from the front. I felt it was a bit too distracting to include in the chapter, so I decided to put it here.

_ *** **Feeling it less time consuming to actually pull the shirt over his head to remove it, Jareth previously ordered his tailor stitch little buttons down most of his shirts. Not that one could tell, but specifically, this shirt's ruffles hid the few scattered buttons that actually held the garment closed._


	18. Chapter Sixteen: A Personal Invite

Disclaimer: This is just a work of fan fiction. I do not own the Labyrinth or the characters found within it's story. I do, however, claim to own the characters I have created along with the plot of this story. Thanks.

A/N: A forewarning of the chapter- I know the last chapter was lacking some exciting points- this one may be the same- we just need to know what everyone else is up to, don't you think?

* * *

**Within**

**Chapter Sixteen: A Personal Invite**

"My lady!" exclaimed the noble fox as he bowed politely. His faithful steed, Ambrosius was beside him, obviously uncomfortable in the presence of the Goblin King.

For a second, she froze, staring at the creatures before her. Her eyes widened with excitement as the small curve on her lips formed a large grin. "Sir Didymus, Hoggle, Ludo! Everyone…what are you doing he-"she began to ask.

"I asked to have them here," Jareth interrupted. "Will you be fine if I left you with them for an hour or so?" he asked already knowing the answer. His eyes made contact with hers and he knew from the smile she gave him that his brilliant idea was unfolding the greater plans he devised. Jareth excused himself as Sarah laughed and caught up with her friends. Part of him yearned to experience moments like that with her, but this was not the time to dwell on such things.

Now back in his study, Jareth stared at the calendar on his desk. 'Only a few days,' he told himself. By chance, his eyes caught a glimpse of the glass incased brass skeleton clock, whose hands were slowly counting down the time he had left with her. "Time is wasting away," he said, noticing that there were only three of the thirteen hours remaining. A sense of panic overcame him, until brilliance struck.

'Though, it seems as if she didn't even remember the little deal,' he thought as his frown evened out and eventually became a grin. "Just a little…" he said extending his gloved finger toward the face of the ticking clock. Slowly, he began to twirl his finger in one counter clockwise circle. 'An hour should surely be enough time to ensure things will swing my way,' he thought proudly.

The events to come would force her into the inevitable- she just wasn't aware of such things at the moment. The happiness she felt initially upon seeing her old friends faded as they questioned her.

"Why did you come back?" Hoggle asked with his bushy eyebrows furrowed together.

At first, she wondered if he didn't want to see her, but that would have been ridiculous. "What's wrong?" Sarah finally managed to say. It was only then that she noticed her friend's expressions. The worry in their eyes was unmistakable.

"Do ya really trust him?" Hoggle muttered.

She wanted to respond with a confident, "Yes," but her voice betrayed her. Sarah's meek response only fueled the concern her friends had for her. Clearing her throat, she attempted to explain, "Things are different now." She didn't expect them to understand, but it would have been a lot easier if they did. "We are different now. Well, let's forget about it, okay?" Sarah attempted to change the topic even though she knew her friends would never let it go.

Hoggle's eyebrows remained knitted together. He wanted to tell her all he could, but he didn't know how.

* * *

After opening the card, he read the silvery words etched on the coarse paper, "On the final day of the last spring month, we cordially invite you to join the celebration of all celebrations."

"I wonder which pompous ass wrote that," groaned another voice. "Anyway, Corliss- I mean…Connor, was it?" A sigh escaped his lips, "Brother, why do you insist upon that name?"

Connor's eyes shifted for a second to look at his younger brother. So many years had passed since they last saw each other, yet his brother remained the same. His slightly wavy, dirty blonde, hair was still long and his youth was preserved by his pale skin. Glancing back at the invitation and ignoring his brother's question, Connor continued to read, "After another five hundred years, the celebration you have been waiting for, the Masquerade de Lumière Brillante will being promptly at sunset, starting with the opening ceremo-"

"Blah, blah, blah, and so forth," interrupted his brother. "Must we celebrate your return by attending that?" As he spoke, his hands rapidly whirred in the air to help convey his disapproval.

"Damario!" The odd harshness of Connor's voice was followed by an obedient silence. "We are _not_ celebrating!"

"So you say," Damario's lips began to curve into a grin, "but if you are winning the prize, then it will be a celebration of sorts, right? How will you complete this successfully unnoticed?"

'Excellent question,' thought Connor. He didn't know… yet- "It is a masquerade," he reasoned out loud. Both brothers nodded in agreement.

"But she doesn't know that you aren't human. And… well, if anyone finds out that you're back, you probably will be executed." Damario's tone was grave. "Is this human really worth all that?" he asked, knowing his brother's answer. "Taking yet another bit of the forbidden fruit?" he laughed sadly.

"It is rather delicious," Connor smiled briefly.

"Are you certain both of them will be there?" asked Damario.

Connor raised his eyebrows, "That's where you come in."

* * *

After what felt like just a short time, her friends took their leave. As they left one by one, they exchanged their goodbyes and promises to meet again.

"Excuse me," came a low, unfamiliar voice. "I wish to speak with Jareth, the Goblin King. Do you know his whereabouts?"

Sarah's eyes widened. 'Connor?' she thought initially, but upon seeing his long hair she knew it couldn't be him. 'We're in the Underground too,' her mind added, making the idea of Connor existing here improbable. "Who are you?" she asked, trying to hide the suspicion in her voice.

"Forgive my rudeness," his tone sounded genuine, but the smile on his face seemed a little off. "My name is Damario." he said, bowing his head politely. "And who might you be?" The truth of the matter was that he knew who she was, even before his older brother mentioned her. Everyone knew of the woman who defeated the Goblin King's Labyrinth.

Sarah hesitated to answer the unfamiliar man. His deep hazel eyes were captivating and his voice was like velvet. He dressed differently compared to Jareth; he wore a loose long-sleeved red shirt. The cuffs of his sleeves were short and fluffy. His pants were black and not too tight at all, which was a relief. Something about him made her uneasy. Perhaps it was because he reminded her of Connor or maybe it was because of his dangerously gorgeous appearance. In a way, he was like an exotic fish- pleasing to the eyes and deadly to the touch. "My name is Sarah," she finally managed to say..

"Sarah?" repeated Damario nodding his head as if to say, 'That name suits you.' 'I suppose I can see why Corliss is so interested in you,' he thought. "Is Jareth busy?" Damario asked, intentionally diverting the subject.

"I don't know," she wanted to say, but she pushed herself to give a strong " Yes," in response. "He'll be here soon," Sarah said hoping that she spoke the truth. Part of her wanted to know more about this familiar stranger, while the other wished for Jareth to magically to appear.

As luck would have it, she heard footsteps descending the stairway. "Jareth?" she called out, but no sooner than a second later, the Goblin King appeared to answer her prayers. His upward curved lips soon straightened upon seeing his guest. "And to what do I owe this visit, Damario?" he asked raising a brow.

"Is an old friend forbidden to visit another?" Damario asked with a grin. "Are you that upset with me because its been so long?"

Jareth sighed. "You haven't changed."

* * *

Now in the dining room, Jareth sat at the head of the table while Sarah and Damario were seated on both sides of him, facing each other. Neither of the men touched their food while Sarah quietly listened to their conversation and pretended to focus on the soup in front of her.

"Well, at least you have a title. Jareth, the Goblin King," Damario laughed.

Jareth raised an eyebrow, "True, but you have the freedom to do as you wish."

All of this was new to her, Jareth was being nice to someone else. 'He and Damario are old friends,' she marveled while relishing the sensation of the warm soup slipping down her throat. "How long have you known each other?" she asked, wanting to be filled in.

"Quite some time… many centuries, I believe," Damario answered with a smile on his face. "We've been acquainted since we were much younger." he continued.

Sarah wasn't sure what to make of him. Initially, he seemed like a suspicious character, but as she watched Jareth and Damario interact with each other, he didn't seem so bad. 'Centuries,' she thought, imagining what they were like so many years ago.

"So this is _the _girl?" Damario finally said, turning his gaze to her and then to Jareth, whose expression was everything but pleased.

'_The_girl?' she thought to herself. "What does that mean?" she asked, looking Jareth in the eye. When he said nothing, she raised an eyebrow and turned to the man across the table from her, "Well?"

Damario raised an eyebrow, 'Jareth, speechless? Now I have to laugh.' A smile crept on his face, "News trave-"

"So what brings you here? I imagine its something of great importance seeing as how you haven't graced me with your presence since this castle became mine." Jareth interrupted, changing the subject.

"Not exactly," Damario answered while using a gloved hand to move a few stray strands of hair from his face. "I was wondering if you would be attending the celebration coming up? I've been curious as to what happens there, but I was hoping someone I know- a friend would be there." Jareth's suspicious expression led Damario to continue, "To kill two birds with one stone."

"I see," he responded trying to mask the displeasure in his tone.

"Jareth, you're like a brother to me," Damario said softly. 'Even though my real brother has returned.'

Jareth sighed, "We'll see you there."

* * *

Once Damario left, there were some questions waiting to be answered. 'First off,' she thought, "So, how do you know each other?" came Sarah's voice. 'He seemed out of sorts since Damario's arrival,' she noted. Her eyes captured his image- his slight frown and focused eyes. One of his hands held his chin while his foot tapped to a silent beat. "We've known each other since we were children. We grew up together. He hasn't changed one bit." Jareth sighed.

"I bet you haven't either," Sarah wondered out loud. 'This probably isn't helping.'

"I know you have more to ask." he said, turning his head to look into her eyes.

His voice stung her with its emotionless tone. She didn't know what to do. Sarah sighed. "Maybe later." 'He's worse than a girl on her period.' her mind grumbled. Sarah made her way out of the chair and to his side. "You're so …" she began. 'Damn. What's the word?'

"Child…ish. You're like a child." Sarah continued, for lack of a better word.

"Oh am I?" Jareth asked, clearly intrigued by her change in attitude. "Well, then. Shall I just throw a tantrum?" He didn't expect her to laugh. He was being serious, why couldn't she see that?

The way his lips curved into a pout was actually adorable, there was no denying it. As impulse would have its way, Sarah's lips soon made contact with the smooth skin of his cheek. "There, all better?" she asked as if speaking to a child. Soon after, a small laugh surfaced from within her.

In swift motions, Jareth was out of his chair and next to Sarah. Taking her hand in his, the Goblin King pulled the surprised woman closer to him before he spoke, "Come with me."

She didn't quite understand what he meant. All she knew was that they were heading upstairs and she would soon find out what awaited. Upon setting foot on the next floor, Sarah felt her skin prickle with anticipation. 'Something is _different_,' she told herself, 'The air is lighter, if such a thing could happen.' "Jareth, what are you up to?" the words slipped out of her mouth. She tilted her head to get a better look of the tall blond beside her.

No words escaped his lips. Instead a seductive smile crept its way onto his face. They were just a few feet from her room when in less than a blink of an eye, Sarah somehow found herself up against the wall. Jareth leaned on his arm, which supported him beside her. His body drew closer as he tilted his gaze downward to meet her. "Sarah," his voice was soft and soothing. "You're running out of time, love." 'I cant help but remember what this reminds me of,' she told herself. He was in the same pose as before, only this time it seemed like he didn't want time to progress either. As her memory replayed, she could hear his voice, "_And you Sarah, how are you enjoying my labyrinth." _

"For?" she finally said, still confused from his sentence.

"If I am correct, we have about one hour until you must return to your world." his voice was nonchalant and had a tinge of coldness. 'Self control, Jareth,' he warned himself not to get too carried away with his actions. 'Chose your words carefully,' his conscience warned. "I realize this may be something 'unfair,' but would you consider staying even after our deal is done?" He could hear his voice in his mind. 'Selfish!' it scolded while his lips curved into a brief smirk.

"For how long?" she asked, half hoping he would say something like "forever."

"The Masquerade de Lumière Brillante will be held in three days," his voice was calm, but little did she know how fast his heart raced. "Once you have made up your mind, please let me know. I'll be in my study." With those words, he was gone.

Sarah sighed. 'Men,' she thought, 'or more like _Jareth_. He's so confusing.'

'Knowing her, this should be perfect,' he silently congratulated as he turned the corner to his study.

* * *

**A/N**: Yes, sorry I've been so slow thanks to my exams and being preoccupied by mangas and videogames. Hm… I do hope this chapter is to your liking, however it may seem a bit boring since I was just filling you in. Also, I bet it opens up a lot of different questions. I've been busy, finals are coming up soon so I have a feeling I'll continue to be slow on updates, but don't let that stop you from reviewing! **(Please do review!)**

Always a big **thanks**to those who have previously reviewed: L.T. Freak, Rinny, not written, hazlgrnLizzy, LydiaLovegood, bra4goten, TinkLuvr16,Irene Sharda, HappyDepressive, Farongazie, Cat O' Connor, bored teen, GoblinQueenSarah, mimosa, and lovely666.


End file.
